Welcome to the MAY, 2014 Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE. Our industry has begun to gain momentum as evidenced by the many new projects that we have begun to see coming off of paper and out of the ground. GMCS recently attended the annual State of Center City, 2014 meeting held by Paul Levy and the Center City District & the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation. If you didn’t attend, you missed a great presentation by Mr. Levy and an outstanding report on the State of Center City 2014 complete with a vast array of economic and demographic data on the city and its evolving demographic affecting how we develop for years to come. Additionally, the CCD has taken the time to compile an amazing book detailing planned and existing development in Center City from 2013 – 2017. You may find the Center City Philadelphia Developments, 2013-2017 also posted on the CCD site.
The most recent update on Regional Trade Negotiations may be found in the LABOR section of the newsletter.
Many recipients of last month’s newsletter wrote in to express their satisfaction with the opening article on industry leadership and requested more. We will follow-up on that request and start off by stating that qualified, competent and capable leadership, in any industry, is important for sustainable, healthy growth. We can often judge a leader by the way they manage their own organization and those that serve it. Great industry leaders are supported by loyal, stable organizations. Only loyal, stable organizations can lead an industry. It is widely recognized that people don’t leave a company, they leave the leadership. A leader’s failure to competently lead both their internal and external environments is a clear sign of an ineffective leader. According to research from the M.I.T. Sloan Leadership Center on Leadership, “most people identify leadership with an individual and a strong personality, but leadership is more than that. It is a function — an activity that every group of two or more experiences — and is highly situational and often shared.” “Any appraisal of leadership should therefore start with the organization.” Take a moment and read this excellent article from David T. Morgenthaler at the M.I.T. Sloan Leadership Center, titled: Managing Things and Leading People here…
While the industry continues to experience the ill effects of failed industry and labor relations, GMCS clients have been continuously updated on industry jurisdictional trends in the field; many have utilized our Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services to successfully avoid jurisdictional disputes, that both union and non-union contractors have experienced, over the last 18-24 months. We continue to be a conduit for communication amongst the region’s employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders. Many association members, national contractors and local contractors have come to rely on our professional and respected service when they need estimating, bidding and or project advice. Did you know that many national contractors that are interested in working within the Philadelphia marketplace contact GMCS for advice on establishing key relationships within the industry and its AEC community to gain a better understanding of the region’s collective bargaining agreements and language? If you or your association isn’t working with GMCS, perhaps it’s time to reconsider?
Collaboration, communication and relationships are the keys to our success. GMCS has successfully been providing Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services to associations, contractors and construction users throughout these tumultuous and challenging times. Our client’s success comes as a result of GMCS’s unique experience and industry relationships that enable GMCS to collaborate and communicate throughout the industry and to generate and implement project solutions that simply work, often without costly legal fees and or embarrassing media coverage potentially harming your organization’s reputation.
Having successfully resolved hundreds of matters related to area collective bargaining agreements and contractors throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan, Lehigh Valley and the entire Mid-Atlantic region, GMCS has become the only recognized, educated, experienced and reliable source for labor & industry relation’s support. GMCS is the single, unbiased, industry wide provider of labor & industry relation’s support for the Mid-Atlantic region assuring information sharing, professional, educated and experienced support to the entire industry along with centralized labor event tracking, data sharing and a vendor that serves each association & contractor, not just a single association’s board of directors. This is the most effective and equitable model in management side construction labor relations. Association members interested in receiving these valuable and informative support services through their associations should contact their board of directors and request a free consultation. Independent contractor signatories are urged to contact Wayne Gregory directly at GMCS, wegregory@gregorymcs.com. All industry associations and contractors will benefit significantly by centralizing their labor Relations through GMCS.
GMCS provides neutral, contracted Association Management and Labor & Industry Relations support to many of our associations, contractors, facility owners and industry stakeholders. We are focused on facilitating communication and collaboration amongst our construction employer associations, constructors, facility owners, building trades and governmental bodies with an emphasis on creating a centralized, focused community that actively promotes labor harmony, industry advancement, contractor opportunities and workforce development. Please accept this informative newsletter containing relevant industry topics that can impact your associations and organizations. GMCS is always available to provide clarification or additional information on any of the topics contained within.
This month’s newsletter is comprised of the most popular postings over the last 30 days on gregorymcs.blogspot.com. They are listed by the following categories: INDUSTRY, LABOR, OSHA, MULTIEMPLOYER PENSION PLANS, HUMAN RESOURCES. Additional topics and subject matter may be found on the GMCS companion blog @ gregorymcs.blogspot.com. GMCS continues to track relevant industry legislation and provide summary updates on its companion blog. Associations and organizations that subscribe to the GMCS GLASS Reports receive timely updates to each piece of legislation impacting their organizations as they occur along with a listing of the bill’s primary and co-sponsors. GMCS provides an annual legislative affairs subscription service that monitors and reports on the daily activity of the PA General Assembly to Associations and organizations in all industries throughout the Commonwealth. This is accomplished through our specialized GLASS Report’s product. Current GLASS Report recipients include commercial & residential contractor associations, labor organizations, transportation management associations and local & regional governmental bodies. Please contact GMCS @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com to discuss your organization’s needs and how you can benefit from this informative and essential service.
The Gregory Management & Consulting Services REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE is well into its second year of circulation. Between our companion blog at gregorymcs.blogspot.com and the newsletter, our monthly industry reach continues to reach thousands of industry professionals interested in discovering more about the latest Industry, Labor, OSHA, Defined Benefit Pension Plan and HR developments here in the regional construction marketplace and abroad. Sponsorship opportunities are being made available to local employer associations, industry stakeholders and contractors; interested firms should contact Wayne Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com for more information.
INDUSTRY:
Recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision Impacting Mechanic’s Lien Laws: Bargaining Unit Employees Are Not Subcontractors – A Must Read For All Construction Contractors and Fund Trustees.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, reversing the Superior Court’s decision, found that bargaining unit member employees of the prime contractor are not "subcontractors" as defined by Pennsylvania's Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963. Trustees of the bargaining unit’s employee benefits trust funds were not entitled to file mechanic's lien claims on the bargaining unit member’s behalf for unpaid contributions to the trust funds
Read
more here…
The 2014 Top 500 Design Firms Overview: A Recovery in Need of Speed
The design profession has been hit hard over the past six years. By some estimates, as many as 40% of architects were unemployed during the height of the recession, in 2009. Engineers fared better but not by much. Everybody did more with less. Now, after several fits and starts over the past few years, the market finally is in recovery mode. It's no bull market, but strength is building. Still, many "lean and mean" project delivery methods born of the recession remain in place.
Read
more here…
The making of a building boom:
After a protracted recession left construction activity basically dormant, Philadelphia is experiencing a building boom in which billions of dollars are pouring into new developments.
Building
activity — big and small — crisscrosses the city from the Navy Yard to Center
City and from University City, where health-care and educational institutions
have spent their own billions over the last decade expanding their campuses and
facilities, to North Broad Street.
Read
more here…
Philadelphia's future in the numbers:
Last year, developers received building permits for 2,815 units of new residential housing, the most approved in a decade. Those units are worth an estimated $465 million, the highest annual amount on record.
Investors
appear to be betting that Philadelphia's population, which rose for the seventh
straight year in 2013 to 1,553,165, will keep growing and that many of the new
residents, young and old, will be looking for new homes and apartments.
Read
more here…
21st-century Center City, Paul R. Levy is the president and CEO of the Center City District:
Can you name the place with the second-largest downtown population in the country?
A
place that provides almost 300,000 jobs; 40 percent held by workers with
college degrees, 30 percent by those with some college, while 30 percent
provide opportunity for local residents with no more than a high school
diploma?
Read
more here…
State of Center City is good, but would improve with more jobs:
Good things are happening in Philadelphia, but the city needs more job opportunities to keep it going.
That
was the message delivered Tuesday morning during a Center City District
discussion on the state of Center City. First, the good news: The population of
greater Center City increased 13 percent between 2000 and 2013.
Read
more here…
Phila. building owners report energy usage:
The city announced Thursday that owners of more than 86 percent of Philadelphia's large commercial buildings complied with a new law to report energy usage, and their average Energy Star score came in at 64, above the national average of 50.
Read more here…
7 statistics that show Philadelphia is a rising economic powerhouse:
Philadelphia
is a city on the rise if you examine stats from a new Pew Charitable Trusts
report. Building permits are at their highest levels in a decade. Population is
up. Homicides are down
Read
more here…
Beyond The Quantified Self: The World’s Largest Quantified Community:
Everyone who passes through New York City's Hudson Yards development will contribute data to a project intended to help plan cities of the future.
So-called
"smart" cities and communities are sprouting around the world, from
the urban laboratory that is the Spanish port city of Santander to a huge
residential energy research project that has been running for years in Austin,
Texas.
Read
more here…
BIM adoption: Why Can’t it Just Be About Best Practice?:
In late 2013, McGraw Hill conducted 435 online surveys with architects, engineers, contractors, consultants and building owners from across Australia and New Zealand’s construction industry.
The
Australia and New Zealand SmartMarket Report released on Wednesday analyses the
full range of data received and, in relation to BIM adoption, the levels of
experience and collaboration, expected and estimated return on investment and
likely future importance and adoption rates of BIM in five years in Australia
and New Zealand.
Read
more here…
Philadelphia Commission on
Human Relations Issues New Pregnancy Rights Notice:
Philadelphia
Mayor Michael Nutter signed an amendment to the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance
expressly banning discrimination based upon pregnancy, childbirth, or a related
medical condition and imposing new workplace accommodation requirements on
Philadelphia employers. The amendment places Philadelphia among a growing
number of jurisdictions that require employers to provide workplace
accommodations to employees who are “affected by pregnancy,” regardless of
whether those employees are “disabled.” (See our prior alerts for details on
new requirements enacted in Philadelphia and New Jersey.)
Read
more here…
February, 2014 JOLT's Summary Released. Construction
experiences a decline in the amount of new hires throughout February.
GMCS Summary Statement: Job openings in
private sector retail, professional and business services continue to grow
while the construction industry experiences a reduction in overall
hiring. Employee turnover remains steady.
Read more here…
REED Construction Data: Construction Spending Ekes Out a Small Gain in January
Total
Construction Spending and its Major Components: The U.S. Census Bureau reported
that total construction spending edged up 0.1% in January to $943.1 billion at
a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR). December’s spending number was
revised up by $11.4 billion, 1.2% of the previously reported number. As a
result, December’s monthly increase was revised up from +0.1% to +1.5%.
Read
more here….
3 economists offer construction outlook for 2014, beyond:
"Good
foundation for construction recovery," AIA economist says
Three
economists offer their outlook on construction activity and construction
spending for the rest of this year, and beyond.
Read
more here…
MARCH CONSTRUCTION
EMPLOYMENT INCREASED IN 38 STATES FROM A YEAR AGO AND IN HALF THE COUNTRY IN
LATEST MONTH AS WINTER WEATHER AGAIN AFFECTED JOBS:
Construction
firms added jobs in 38 states over the past 12 months, although job gains
leveled off between February and March, according to an analysis today by the
Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data. Association
officials said the ongoing year-over-year pickup points to the urgency of
revitalizing and initiating programs to encourage workers and graduating
students to get construction careers.
Read
more here…
The Winter Doldrums Drag On Through March at Architecture Firms
After
seeing many architecture positions eliminated during the recession, about
three-quarters are eventually expected to return
Read
more here…
LABOR:
(UPDATE – May 1, 2014, 8:30 AM) Regional Collective
Bargaining Agreements for Philadelphia Commercial Construction and Heavy &
Highway Contractors that Expired at Midnight on April 30, 2014:
We still have
several groups actively negotiating their collective bargaining
agreements. Most employer associations and their labor partners have
checked in with GMCS last evening and this morning and are reporting that
active negotiations are ongoing at this time and that labor and management
continue to work together in an attempt to achieve mutually acceptable
agreements
Read more here…
(UPDATE – April 28, 2014) Regional
Collective Bargaining Agreements for Philadelphia Commercial Construction and
Heavy & Highway Contractors that Expire at Midnight on April 30, 2014:
Continued
early industry settlements point to strong signs of positive labor / management
relationships between trades and contractors.
Read
more here…
Carpenters Expand To 5 States; $150M Paid Pensioners
Yearly:
It didn’t get
smaller, nor did it leave the city; instead it added the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Council of Carpenters – expanding its jurisdiction, in the words of its leader
Ed Coryell, “from the southwestern-most part of Virginia (Roanoke area) to
Carbon Co., Pa. town of Jim Thorpe.”
Read more here…
JURISDICTION: Philadelphia Regional Update
– Philadelphia Regional Update – Geographic Jurisdictional Changes - All
Contractors with Signatory Obligations to the Metropolitan Regional Council of
Carpenters – Philadelphia, Greater Pennsylvania Regional Council – Pittsburgh
or the former Mid-Atlantic Regional Council:
Gregory
Management & Consulting Services has received numerous client inquiries
regarding the January 8, 2014 letter from the Greater Pennsylvania Regional
Council, Pittsburgh and the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters,
Philadelphia detailing a market consolidation across three regional councils
and multiple states throughout the entire Mid-Atlantic region. This
consolidation impacts signatory contractors in Virginia, West Virginia,
Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Read
more here…
NLRB Orders Employer to Repay Union’s Bargaining Costs:
Many a seasoned
negotiator has experienced and or participated in “posturing” at the
table. In the past, it was all simply viewed as a part of the larger
process of collective bargaining and something to be expected. This
recent NLRB decision should give all a moment of pause and
self-reflection. As the Philadelphia region’s construction employer
associations are and will be actively engaged in collective bargaining for the
next 12 months, this should provide some clear guidance on how the NLRB will
view and act on bad faith negotiations. It is a short and excellent read
documenting some very clear and specific actions.
Read more here…
PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SKILLED CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS: A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE 21 st CENTURY:
Why America Needs a Construction
Workforce Development Plan As the construction industry emerges from a severe
downturn that began more than seven years ago, many firms report having a hard
time finding enough skilled workers to fill key positions. These workforce
shortages may at first seem counter intuitive for an industry that was forced
to lay off more than 2 million workers since 2006. However, these shortages are
the consequence of a series of policy, education, demographic and economic
factors that have decimated the once robust education pipeline for training new
construction workers.
Read more here…
Regional Collective Bargaining Settlement Sheets available:
GMCS has compiled a detailed settlement report defining the regional trade
settlements from last year’s collective bargaining as well as detailing the
previously negotiated settlements for trades and associations. Copies are
available to associations engaged in regional negotiations. Please contact
GMCS at wegregory@gregorymcs.com
today for instructions on how to receive your copy.
GMCS is the Philadelphia Region’s Leading Labor Relations Solutions Provider:
A recent study by the Center for Construction Research and
Training indicates that work site conflict costs, on average,
$11,000.00 per incident. GMCS provides contracted labor relations
services to many of the region’s employer associations, contractors, facility
owners and industry stakeholders helping you to avoid those costly
conflicts. With two
levels of affordable annual agreements costing less than 50% of the cost of an
average conflict, contracted
labor relations services can help your organization stay on schedule and
budget.
Contact wegregory@gregorymcs.com for your
consultation today.
WTI Forecasts Modest Boost to Wage Growth in 2014:
Arlington, Va.
(April 17, 2014) — Private industry workers’ annual wage gains are expected to
receive a modest boost in 2014, according to the final first-quarter Wage Trend
Indicator™ (WTI) released today by Bloomberg BNA, a leading publisher of
specialized news and information.
The index
increased for the second consecutive quarter to 98.92 (second quarter 1976 =
100) from 98.77 in the fourth quarter of 2013
Read more here…
OSHA & SAFETY:
Delaware Valley Safety Council Announces May Date For Certified Occupational Safety Specialist (COSS) Orientation:
The
Delaware Valley Safety Council (DVSC) has scheduled a Certified Occupational
Safety Specialist (COSS) training class for the week of May 12, 2014. The class
will be held at DVSC's New Jersey facility located at Gloucester County College
Continuing Education Center, 1492 Tanyard Road, Sewell, NJ 08080.
Read
more here…
FATAL FACT SHEET:
Construction Material Hoist Collapse:
Also available is a new Fatal Fact on a
recent material hoist collapse that killed a construction worker. The document
describes the event, its causes, and best practices employers can use to
prevent similar incidents from happening at their worksites.
Read more here…
OSHA announces final rule revising standards for electric power generation, transmission and distribution:
OSHA
today sent to the Federal Register a final rule to improve workplace safety and
health for workers performing electric power generation, transmission and
distribution work.
Read
more here…
Fall and Scaffolding Hazards Found at New Jersey Site:
The agency's November 2013 inspection
found four repeat and two serious violations related to fall and scaffolding
hazards at a work site in North Brunswick, N.J. The masonry contractor faces
$58,520 in penalties for violations including not bracing scaffolds properly,
lack of fall protection, and failure to erect scaffolds on a firm foundation
and provide a competent, trained person for scaffolding work. OSHA cited the
company for similar violations in 2010.
Read more here…
Philadelphia Residential Construction Company Failed to
Provide Fall Protection:
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration inspectors found eight serious and repeat violations at a
Medford, N.J., residential construction site during an inspection begun last
November under a local emphasis program on fall hazards.
Read more here…
Silica rulemaking hearings conclude, OSHA extends post-hearing comment period:
Public
hearings for the proposed crystalline silica rule concluded on April 4, and
OSHA thanks all stakeholders for contributing their time, effort and expertise
to the rulemaking process.
To
offer participants additional time to prepare post-hearing submissions, OSHA is
extending the submission deadlines by 15 days.
Read
more here…
OSHA proposal is causing a bit of a dustup: Administration says silica regulations are outdated, but some businesses disagree
The
U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is looking to update its
43-year-old regulations on how much of a particular type of dangerous dust
employees can be exposed to in a traditional workday.
But
opponents, including some in Ohio, are raising concerns about the cost any
changes would add for companies to carry out the proposal and whether there's
even a need for stricter standards at all.
Read
more here…
OSHA schedules informal hearing on proposed extension of crane operator certification deadline:
The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration today scheduled an informal
public hearing to discuss OSHA’s proposed rule to extend the compliance date
for the crane operator certification requirement and the existing phase-in
requirement that employers ensure that their operators are qualified to operate
the equipment. The hearing will be held May 19, 2014, in Washington, D.C.
Read
more here…
Alliance with Scaffold and Access Industry Association renewed to protect workers from scaffold hazards:
OSHA
has renewed its alliance with the Scaffold and Access Industry Association to
provide information and training to protect the safety and health of workers
who use scaffolds and lift equipment. Through the alliance, OSHA and SAIA will
work to reduce and prevent fall and caught-in-between hazards and issues
related to frame, mast climbing and suspended scaffolds and aerial lift
equipment.
Read
more here…
OSHA urges Employers to prevent texting while driving:
OSHA reminds employers
that they have a responsibility to protect their workers by prohibiting texting
while driving. It is a violation of the OSH Act if employers require workers to
text while driving, create incentives that encourage or condone it, or structure
work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their
job.
Read more here…
OSHA National fall
Prevention Program:
Falls
are the leading cause of death in construction, and OSHA is working with NIOSH
and the National Occupational Research Agenda to get the word out about how to
"Plan, Provide, Train" to prevent fatal falls. To learn more, please
check out OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign resource page here…
MULTI-EMPLOYER PLAN UPDATE:
Milliman analysis: Funded status drops by
$5 billion in March:
The
funded status of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans dropped
by $5 billion during March as measured by the Milliman 100 Pension Funding
Index (PFI). The deficit increased to $266 billion from $261 billion at the end
of February, due to both a drop in the benchmark corporate bond interest rates
used to value pension liabilities and flat asset returns during March. As of
March 31, the funded ratio fell to 84.0%, down from 84.3% at the end of
February. This latest PFI reflects the annual update of the Milliman 100
companies and their 2013 financial figures included in the Milliman 2014
Pension Funding Study, published on April 2, 2014.
Read
more here…
A
comprehensive and detailed report showcasing what retirement issues are top of
mind for employers. In the fall of 2013, Aon Hewitt surveyed HR professionals
throughout the U.S. to learn what’s likely to occur in the coming year regarding
the design, management and delivery of their retirement programs—spanning both
defined contribution and defined benefit plans. Included in this report are
responses from more than 400 employers representing nearly 10 million
employees.
Read
more here…
De-risking
defined benefits plans needs to be a corporate priority:
In
2012, Ford and General Motors blazed a new path for companies seeking to reduce
pension obligations and balance sheet volatility. Both companies reportedly
offered lump-sums to tens of thousands of vested retirees and former employees,
as well as implementing other de-risking strategies. While these actions
sparked interest among defined benefit plan sponsors, many sponsors were
prevented from acting by persistently low interest rates and other factors
which negatively affected plan liabilities and limited the benefits of stock
market gains.
Read
more here…
Reducing retirement plan risk with lump-sum payouts:
Game changers are events, ideas,
inventions, or factors that have profound effects on the status quo. In the
retirement plan arena, the Pension Protection Act of 2006 was a game changer
for defined benefits plan sponsors. The PPA altered the way in which the value
of lump-sum offerings was calculated, making lump-sum payouts a more attractive
solution for plan sponsors seeking ways to reduce the risks associated with
their DB plans.
Read more here…
HUMAN RESOURCES:
BYOD Policies are back in the news: Prepare
for e-discovery of data on employees’ personal devices:
Suppose an e-mail from
your company’s in-house attorney instructs you to preserve all documents
related to an ex-employee who is threatening to sue the company for wrongful
termination. In the days before smartphones and cloud storage, that would have
been a relatively limited exercise: Paper documents would be set aside, and
files on the company server would be backed up. But work-related data can be
stored in many places today, including on employees’ personal devices. Are you
required to preserve such data?
Read more here…
Supreme Court Clarifies that Severance
Payments are Taxable:
On Tuesday, March 25,
2014, the U.S. Supreme Court, in U.S. v. Quality Stores, Inc., Case No.
12-1408, unanimously ruled that severance payments made to employees who were
involuntarily terminated are taxable wages under the Federal Insurance
Contributions Act (FICA). The decision overturns a previous ruling from the
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of Quality Stores which was seeking a
$1 million tax refund from the IRS based on its claim that severance payments
were not covered by FICA.
Read more here…
NLRB is once again cracking down on overly
broad policies restricting Section 7 rights. No-gossip policies in the news.
By now, most employers are probably familiar with
the NLRB’s expanding scope of review over workplace policies, even in nonunion
settings. From challenging social media policies to restricting the scope of
investigation confidentiality statements, the NLRB is more likely to find
violations if employers’ conduct policies appear overbroad and ambiguous and
could be interpreted to restrict employees from discussing or complaining about
any terms and conditions of employment.
That same analysis has
recently been applied to a no-gossip policy. Last December, an NLRB
administrative law judge (ALJ) issued a decision and recommended order
determining that an employer violated § 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations
Act (NLRA) by maintaining an overly broad “no- gossip” policy, and subsequently
suspending and terminating an employee for violating the policy, because her
“gossip” was protected concerted activity.
Read more here…
Misclassification Is ‘Hot’—And Many (Maybe Most) Organizations Are in
Violation:
Misclassification
is “very hot,” says Attorney Dinita James, and the DOL is doing “directed”
investigations, that is, visiting places where there hasn’t been a complaint.
The
agency is also singling out certain industries in its search for companies
violating rules governing misclassification of independent contractors. For
example, says James, they are looking at electrical contractors. In
investigations of contractors in construction, most companies were found to be
in violation, she says.
Read
more here…
The 5 Hurdles—FMLA Leave for Children 18 and Older:
Employees
who are eligible for FMLA leave who want to take leave to care for a child 18
years of age or older must jump through five hoops to qualify.
Read
more here…
Real-World Examples: FMLA with Children 18 and Above:
Here are concrete examples from the DOL of how this
plays out.
My 20-year-old daughter has been put on bed rest
because of her high-risk pregnancy. I am the only one available to care for
her. Can I take FMLA leave for this reason?
Maybe. In order to take FMLA
leave to care for your adult daughter……
Read more here…
IRS releases guidance on same sex marriage
and retirement plan rollovers:
The IRS in April issued two notices that
provide some long awaited guidance related to retirement plan administration.
One addresses treatment of same-sex marriages after the Supreme Court ruling in
United States v. Windsor ruling the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional
and the other deals with rollovers by qualified retirement plans.
Read more here…
Sixth
Circuit rules that telecommuting may be a reasonable accommodation:
Courts
in the past, including in the Sixth Circuit (which includes Ohio), have held
that telecommuting is not required as a reasonable accommodation because
regular attendance at work on a predictable schedule is an essential function
of almost all jobs (excepting those that are regularly done by all employees
from a remote location).
Read
more here…
This e-mail newsletter has been provided complimentary to Associations and
industry stakeholders by Wayne Gregory of Gregory Management & Consulting
Services (GMCS). Wayne
Gregory has been the recognized regional leader in the areas of Labor &
Industry Relations since 2005 and is continuing to serve the industry and its
multi-employer Associations under the GMCS
brand, Knowledge, Trust, Integrity
and a unwavering commitment to Serve
the industry. From Association Management & Executive Leadership
services, Owner Representation, Government & Legislative Affairs
& Subscription Services and Labor & Industry Relations, let GMCS help
your Associations and organizations to forge a new and clear path forward.
We hope that you enjoy the new newsletter format and welcome all comments
and suggestions regarding these changes. You may forward those to Wayne
Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com.
Best wishes to all for a safe, prosperous, healthy & harmonious 2014.
Sincerely,
Wayne E. Gregory
Gregory
Management & Consulting Services
Audubon, PA 19403
Phone: (215) 498-5790
E-Mail: wegregory@gregorymcs.com
On the web: www.gregorymcs.com
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