Welcome to the October, 2014 Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE. The regional commercial construction marketplace continues to announce more new projects almost daily. GMCS is continuing to collaborate with regional developers, governmental authorities, facility owners, contactors and trades to advance even more projects in the coming months. Along with this increased demand comes an ever growing strain on our skilled labor pool. A shortage that GMCS has been forecasting for quite some time. As the demand for skilled labor increases, so does the demand for construction executives and industry professionals. In just the last several months, our Mid-Atlantic commercial construction industry has witnessed the tragic losses of several high profile organization’s lead executives. Additionally, we have witnessed some regional industry executives transitioning to leadership positions with industry competitors. Along those same lines, the demand for project executives, estimators and superintendents continues to grow and an even greater pace. Personnel transfers amongst industry competitors happen almost daily. GMCS regularly assists their contracted clients and recruiting firms in securing qualified and experienced placements for these mission critical positions. Developers, facility owners and contractors continue to recognize the value of bringing GMCS into the discussion early on in the planning phases of their projects. Developers and facility owners and contractors find tangible value and security in GMCS’s broad regional contractor knowledge base, trusted relationships and continued participation in industry wide discussions that seek to maintain harmony between facility owners, constructors and building trades. We accomplish this through our long standing and trusted relationships in government, management and labor through the application of collaborative engagement and open discussion. We help project stakeholders reach mutually acceptable resolutions enabling projects, their contractors and employees to return to work quickly. In many cases, even before the dispute reaches the project. GMCS is addressing and filling the industry leadership void by providing an open conduit for communication amongst the region’s developers, facility owners, governmental authorities, employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders through facilitating discussions that lead to solutions. GMCS nurtures a Culture of Collaboration, Communication and Cooperation amongst Contractors and Building Trades. GMCS remains firmly committed to our contractors and our industry. Developers and facility owners should consider making GMCS an integral part of their next project planning team.
GMCS clients are continuously updated on industry jurisdictional trends and events taking place in the field; many associations and contractors continue to utilize our Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services to successfully avoid disputes by partnering with a recognized, respected and experienced industry service provider like GMCS. We continue to be a conduit for communication amongst the region’s employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders. Many association members and national & 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 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, language and contractor base? If you or your employer association aren’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 challenging times. Our client’s success comes as a result of GMCS’s unique experience and industry relationships that enables GMCS to collaborate and communicate throughout the industry and to participate in the creation and implementation of project solutions that simply work.
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 and facility owners are urged to contact Wayne Gregory directly at GMCS, wegregory@gregorymcs.com.
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.
GMCS continues to provide 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. 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. Please contact GMCS @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com to discuss
your organization’s needs and how you can benefit from this informative and
essential service.
INDUSTRY:
Drexel looking for master developer for its Innovation Neighborhood:
Drexel
University is seeking a master developer for its so-called Innovation
Neighborhood, a 10-acre swath in University City that, when built out, could
have more than 5 million square feet of new space.
Read
more here…
East Market Project Gets Infusion of Funds:
Gov.
Tom Corbett has just given the East Market project a $2.5 million shot in the
arm, bringing the total state monies invested so far to $10 million. The city,
according to a release that went out today, will spend $4 million to spruce up
the area in question, once known as Market East (which previously had a train
station known as Market East as well, but now known as Jefferson. Quiz later).
Read
more here…
Conshohocken borough building bid comes in
$900,000 below estimate - Regional Contractor, T.N. Ward, Submits Low Bid:
A
Lower Merion general contractor and construction management firm was the
apparent low bidder Friday to build the Conshohocken borough hall, police
station and retail spaces in the former Verizon building on Fayette Street.
TN
Ward Company submitted the $10,497,600 electronic bid to www.PennBid.net and it was opened by Borough
Engineer Paul Hughes along with two other base bids at the borough engineer’s
office. Allied Construction Services of Philadelphia bid $10,583,439 and Murphy
Quigley Co. Inc. of Lower Merion bid $12,976,000.
Read
more here…
High Construction Co. names new president:
High
Construction Co. has a new president.
Richard
Stoudt Jr., who recently served as senior operations executive with LF Driscoll
Co. LLC in Philadelphia, assumes the role vacated in April by Matt Twomey.
Read
more here…
Hill Intl. moving HQ from S. Jersey to
Philly:
Hill
International is moving its headquarters from Marlton to Center City
Philadelphia, Gov. Corbett announced today.
Pennsylvania
is offering Hill, a construction management and consulting firm, $1.7 million
in incentives through three programs to relocate its headquarters and bring 222
jobs to Center City..
Read
more here…
Construction firms added jobs in 36 states between August
2013 and August 2014 while construction employment increased in 28 states
between July and August:
Construction
firms added jobs in 36 states between August 2013 and August 2014 while
construction employment increased in 28 states between July and August,
according to an analysis today of Labor Department data by the Associated
General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that construction
activity continues to spread across most of the nation even as employment gains
remain uneven by month and state
Read
more here…
Construction spending increased in July and
total construction reached the highest level since December 2008. Growing
demand will put new pressure on an already tight labor market.:
Growing
Demand for Construction Services Comes as New Study Finds One-in-Four
Construction Firms Turning Down Work Because of Growing Labor Shortages for the
Industry
All
major categories of construction spending increased in July and total
construction reached the highest level since December 2008, according to an
analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association
officials welcomed the robust spending figures, but cautioned that growing
demand will put new pressure on an already tight labor market.
Read
more here…
Unfilled Construction Sector Jobs Increase:
The
estimate of the number of open, unfilled construction sector jobs was revised
significantly higher for the month of June and remained elevated in July. While
hiring and separations increased for the sector, the current count of unfilled
construction jobs is among the highest since 2008.
Read
more here…
PA amends Mechanic's Liens Law: Act 117 is
effective September 7, 2014:
See
the original GLASS Report: Legislative Action Alert: Senate Bill 145: Regular
Session 2013-2014 detailing the history and specifics of this legislation and
the language of ACT 117 by going here…
On
July 9, 2014, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed into law Senate Bill 145 (aka "Act 117"), amending
Pennsylvania's Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963. Act 117 is effective September
7, 2014.
Read
more here…
The American Institute of Architects
Releases Customized Kentucky Department of Education Documents:
GMCS
Editorial: Links to Comparatives and sample documents can be found within
this posting below.
Washington,
D.C. — September 2, 2014 — The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced
the release of customized Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) versions of
ten AIA Contract Documents®. The KDE versions of the AIA documents include KDE
mandated amendments to the standard text of the AIA documents, and will be used
for school construction projects administered by the District Facilities Branch
of the Kentucky Department of Education.
Read
more here…
BIM Evolved: This Is The Hard Hat Of The Future – Enter
Integrated Augmented Reality:
Google
Glass is amazing technology with one big problem: No one really seems to know
exactly who or what it’s actually for.
Los
Angeles-based startup DAQRI may be one of the first to crack the
augmented-reality market proper by targeting a specific demographic —
blue-collar workers.
The
DAQRI smart helmet has been a four-year project for the company. Founder Brian
Muller says, “You just can’t solve the most challenging problems with devices
that were designed for consumers.”
Read
more here…
BIM Evolved: Revolutionizing Job Site
Project Management Through Collaboration and Cloud:
Turner
Construction Company was tapped in early 2012 to build the new US$26 million
central utility plant for the Oakland International Airport in Oakland,
California. Although the shell of the 8,300-square-foot plant is relatively
straightforward, the structure will house an extremely intricate network of
electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, all of which
are critical to keeping the airport running efficiently around the clock.
Read
more here…
A
$50,000 grant from the Florida Division of Historical Resources and a $350,000
grant provided by the Save America’s Treasurers Program of the National Park
Service helped fund an ongoing project to restore the signature Wright-designed
textile blocks in the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel at Florida Southern College. The
project resulted in an innovative use of 3-D printers to assist in creating
molds for the blocks Wright used to build the chapel. The process replaces the
painstakingly hand-crafted molds previously used to make the blocks,
significantly reducing the cost.
Read
more here…
Building Reuse Key to Broader
Revitalization of Philadelphia:
PHILADELPHIA
–Reusing and adapting many of the city’s older, smaller buildings can help the
city extend the benefits of revitalization beyond Center City, according to a
study released today by the Partnership for Building Reuse and led locally by
the ULI Philadelphia District Council. More than 200 real estate professionals
joined keynote speakers Jim Lindberg and Mike Powe, of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation’s Preservation Green Lab, along with a panel of local
experts, to learn more about the report’s priority recommendations, needed
partners, resources, and next steps at a forum hosted by ULI Philadelphia this
morning.
Read
more here….
Architecture Billings Index - ABI: Pace of
Billings Growth Slows Slightly at Architecture Firms in August:
Projects
stalled due to financing are beginning to resurface.
Business
conditions continued to improve at architecture firms in August, although the
ABI score of 53.0 (any score over 50 denotes billings growth) indicates that
firm billings increased at a slightly slower pace in August than in July.
However, the outlook for the coming months remains positive, as the value of
signed design contracts, which indicates upcoming work in the pipeline,
continued to increase this month, and inquiries into new projects remained
strong as well.
Read
more here…
LABOR:
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – JULY 2014.
Job
openings steady at 4.7 million in July; hires and separations also steady
There
were 4.7 million job openings on the last business day of July, little changed
from June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate
(3.5 percent) and the separations rate (3.3percent) were unchanged in July.
Within separations, the quits rate (1.8 percent) and the layoffs and discharges
rate (1.2 percent) were unchanged. This release includes estimates of the
number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector
by industry and by four geographic regions.
Read
more here…
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals finds that Secondary
Activity Amounted to Coercive Union Harassment and Trespass:
United
States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit court in Chicago, in 520S.
Michigan Ave. Associates, Ltd. v. Unite Here Local 1, 13-1938, 2014 WL 3720253
(7th Cir. July 29, 2014), recently found that that Unite Here Local 1,
the “Union”, engaged in secondary activity that was coercive, threatening and
harassing in its tactics to settle a long time strike against Congress Plaza
Hotel, the “Hotel”, in Chicago.
Read
more here…
Collective Bargaining So Far This Year Yields Average
First-Year Increase of 2.2%:
The Construction Labor Research
Council (CLRC) has recently released its latest report on collective bargaining
settlements in the industry. Settlements reported to CLRC between January and
June 2014 resulted in an average first-year wage-and-benefit increase of 2.2
percent or $1.10. For newly negotiated multi-year agreements, the average
second-year increase was 2.5 percent or $1.23, and the average third-year
increase was 2.5 percent or $1.28. Each of these averages is very similar to
the average increases negotiated in 2013 and slightly higher than those
negotiated in 2012, CLRC reports. The percentage of settlements with no
increases negotiated during the latest period was the same as that reported in
2012 but higher than that reported in 2013.
Read
more here…
NLRB Orders Hospital To Pay Union’s Bargaining Costs
after Hospital Refuses to Submit proposals/counter proposals and Improperly
Declares and Impasse:
Employers
take heed: the Board has signaled that refusing to bargain comes with costs. In
Hospital of Barstow, Inc., 361 NLRB No. 34 (Aug. 29, 2014), the National Labor
Relations Board found that Barstow Community Hospital violated Sections 8(a)(1)
and 8(a)(5) of the National Labor Relations Act by refusing to submit proposals
or counter proposals during collective bargaining until it received the Union’s
entire contract proposal. The Hospital further violated the Act by declaring
impasse and refusing to bargain unless the Union directed unit members to stop
documenting purportedly unsafe work situations.
Read
more here…
Misclassification Prevention:
Worker
misclassification has been a problem for this nation’s workforce for a long
time, one that my office and others in the Department have been working hard to
address over the past four years. If someone is working and getting paid for
that work, why should government care about whether the worker is an
independent contractor or an employee?
Read
more here…
$10.2M awarded to fund worker misclassification
detection, enforcement activities in 19 state unemployment insurance programs:
The U.S.
Department of Labor today awarded $10,225,183 to 19 states to implement or
improve worker misclassification detection and enforcement initiatives in
unemployment insurance programs.
Read more here…
Employers face crackdown over worker misclassification:
Since
the onset of the recession, there has been a surge in worker misclassification
litigation and enforcement against employers that are trying to effectively
manage their finances, but are incorrectly classifying their workers. There is
also concern around the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate, which may make
misclassifications a tempting alternative to offering group health coverage.
The
Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue oversee the federal Fair Labor
Standards Act, which establishes minimum wage and overtime pay standards and
how much private and public employers should pay their employees. At the state
level, there are also a slew of regulations that can make any HR professional or
benefit plan sponsor concerned.
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.
The Highs and Lows of Construction Unemployment Rates:
State-level
construction employment numbers are available monthly from the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, but jobless rates are not.
Therefore, for
a state-by-state comparison of construction unemployment rates, the best one
can do is to look at annual-average figures.
Read more here…
WTI: Uptick in Pace of Wage Increases Likely by Early
2015:
A modest pickup
in the pace of annual wage increases for most workers is likely in the coming
months, according to the revised third-quarter Wage Trend Indicator™ (WTI)
released today by Bloomberg BNA, a leading publisher of specialized news and
information.
Read more here…
OSHA & SAFETY:
OSHA extends
compliance date for crane operator certification requirements:
The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final rule
extending the deadline for crane operator certification requirements in the
Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule* published Aug. 9, 2010 by three
years to Nov. 10, 2017. The rule also extends by three years the employer's
responsibility to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane
safely. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 9, 2014.
Comment period
extended on proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injury and
illnesses:
OSHA has announced it will extend the
comment period on the proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries
and illnesses to Oct. 14, 2014. The proposal, published on Nov. 8, 2013, would
amend the agency's recordkeeping regulation to add requirements for the
electronic submission of injury and illness information that employers are
already required to keep.
Read more here…
OSHA announces new
requirements for reporting severe injuries and updates list of industries
exempt from record-keeping requirements:
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational
Safety and Health Administration today announced a final rule* requiring
employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a
work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. The rule, which
also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping
requirements, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal
OSHA jurisdiction.
Read more here…
National Census of
Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary, 2013 – Preliminary Results Published:
A
preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United
States in 2013, lower than the revised count of 4,628 fatal work injuries in
2012, according to results from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
(CFOI) conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rate of fatal work
injury for U.S. workers in 2013 was 3.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE)
workers, compared to a final rate of 3.4 per 100,000 in 2012.
Read
more here…
An infographic
detailing OSHA's new incident reporting requirements for 2015:
OSHA's
new incident reporting requirements for 2015 detailed in an easy to understand
infographic poster format. Use this infographic as a poster to raise
awareness around your office or to email to other safety professionals.
Read
more here…
Infographic of OSHA's
recently most cited violations for 2014.:
The
following is an excellent infographic for your daily tool box talk. It’s
all about the safety huddle and talking about these issues in your daily huddle
may be that single determining factor that gets your entire workforce home
safely at night. Special thanks to Safe-Staff for another professional
infographic.
Read
more here…
Safety a Priority at
Philadelphia's new Museum of the American Revolution Site:
Workers
constructing Philadelphia's new Museum of the American Revolution will be safer
due to a partnership undertaken Sept. 11 by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration and Intech Construction LLC.
Read
more here…
$10.6M in Harwood
safety and health grants awarded by OSHA to 78 organizations across the nation:
OSHA
has awarded $10.6 million in Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to 78
nonprofit organizations, including community- and faith-based groups, employer
associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, colleges and
universities.
Read
more here…
New Jersey OSHA
instructor admits selling fraudulent safety certificates:
A
South Jersey instructor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
has admitted to selling fraudulent safety certifications to carpenters who
didn't complete the required training.
Read
more here…
New resources: OSHA
updates Heat Stress QuickCard:
OSHA's
updated Heat Stress QuickCardTM serves as a reminder to employers to acclimate
workers to heat conditions. Employers should gradually increase workloads and
allow more frequent breaks for workers who are new to the heat or those who
have been away from work. The updated QuickCardTM also advises employers to
modify work schedules and establish a complete heat illness prevention plan to
protect their workers. OSHA's Heat Safety Tool, a mobile app that allows users
to calculate the heat index, is also available for employers and workers.
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: Corporate pension funded
status drops by $22 billion in August as discount rates fall below 4% and reach
an all-time low:
Blistering
1.92% investment gain adds $24 billion to the asset total, but it is not enough
to offset a $46 billion increase in liabilities, raising the Milliman 100 PFI
funded status deficit to $281 billion
Read
more here…
Motorola
Solutions is incorporating a new group annuity and lump sum payment plan into
the makeup of its traditional defined benefit plan that will help the
communications company shave $4.2 billion in growing liabilities and benefit
payments off its balance sheet.
Read
more here…
Retirement Royalty: Where Workers Still Get
a Pension:
For
decades now, companies have been killing off their defined-benefit pensions.
Instead of the promise of a monthly check from an employer in their old age --
however long that lasts -- workers get access to a voluntary 401(k)
contribution plan. Those plans sometimes come with matching contributions from
employers, but all the risks of saving enough for a long retirement fall
entirely on workers.
Read
more here…
MAP-21 “Pension Smoothing” Provisions
Extended:
On
August 8, President Obama signed legislation that extends certain “pension
smoothing” provisions in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
(MAP-21) Act that was signed in 2012. This pension funding relief will continue
to allow plan sponsors to make lower contributions to their single-employer
defined benefit plans in upcoming years by delaying the phase out of MAP-21
until 2017.
Read
more here…
Harkin's ERISA bill could bank employers
millions:
Sen.
Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) S. 2511, first introduced in June, proposes a
modification to Section 4062(e) of ERISA. The bill mandates that employers and
plan sponsors will no longer face stiff payment plans from the Pension Benefit
Guaranty Corporation should there be a cessation of their single-employer
pension plan.
Read
more here…
HUMAN RESOURCES:
NLRB continues aggressive crackdown on
social media policies:
GMCS
Editorial: An excellent article on the woes of employer social media
policies and the NLRB. Not only does it contain a summary of relevant
cases, it also contains links to the NLRB decisions and why the NLRB arrived at
the decision. It’s well worth a read for all HR professionals.
Read
more here…
Report: Cost of health care to rise
significantly:
Projections
by nonpartisan experts with the federal Health and Human Services Department
indicate the pace of health-care spending will pick up starting this year and
beyond. The introduction of expensive new drugs for the liver-wasting disease
hepatitis C also contributes to the speed-up in the short run.
Read
more here…
Courts remind employers that notice is crucial for FMLA
compliance
In
Wallace v. FedEx Corporation, the Sixth Circuit upheld the district court’s
ruling that the employer interfered with its employee’s FMLA rights when it
failed to notify her of the consequences of not turning in an FMLA leave
certification. Similarly, in Lupyan v. Corinthian Colleges, Inc., the Third
Circuit reversed a summary judgment finding in favor of the employer because
there was a factual dispute regarding whether the employer had informed the
employee that her leave from work had been designated as FMLA leave and that she
had to return to work within 12 weeks or be terminated.
Read
more here…
Who’s Got Policies on What? Survey Says …:
Do
you have a policy on background checks? Social media? Want to know about
policies your competitors have? Here are the results of our 2014 Policies
survey.
The
results of BLR’s 2014 Policy Practices Survey are in; here are some highlights
Read
more here…
Who’s Offering What Benefits? (SHRM
Survey):
The
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released its 2014 Employee
Benefits Survey at its recent Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando. The
findings are helpful for determining what benefits are commonly offered and
which ones you might want to consider.
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
E-Mail: wegregory@gregorymcs.com
On the web: www.gregorymcs.com
The
information contained within this e-mail is provided free of charge to you as a
service to the industry. Any information or advice contained in this
communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be
used, and cannot be used or relied upon by you or any other person, for the
purpose of (i) avoiding penalties, or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending
to another party any advice addressed herein. This e-mail contains PRIVILEGED
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