Welcome to the January, 2015 Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE. We have completed our second full year of publication for the Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE; GMCS would like to thank everyone for their continued support. With a growing readership composed of the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest facility owners, developers, contractors and legislators, coupled with a corporate blog that is soon to exceed 75,000 hits, we only grow in size and popularity with each passing day. We have just finished our second annual 2014 GMCS State of Philadelphia Labor & Industry Relations presentation and look forward to seeing many of you as we
deliver it to our regions’ owners, developers and contractor associations in the coming months. As many employer associations continue to refocus their resources towards legislative affairs & political agendas in 2015, and away from providing positive industry & labor relations, GMCS Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services has become a valuable tool for those developers, facility owners, contractors and employer groups interested in connecting the communication dots across a highly fragmented and dysfunctional industry. GMCS has become the only recognized, educated, experienced and reliable source for labor & industry relation’s support. We are the single, unbiased, industry wide provider of labor & industry relation’s support for the entire 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 and independent contractor.
GMCS continues to collaborate with regional developers, governmental authorities, facility owners, contractors and trades to advance our projects and to prepare for many more in the coming months. 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 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. 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?
GMCS Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services clients already have access to our industry wide network of contractors when employers need to fill important leadership roles within their organizations. GMCS regularly assists their contracted clients and national recruiting firms in securing qualified and experienced personnel placements for mission critical positions such as, project executives, project managers, estimators, superintendents and facilities experts. GMCS provides employer fee-paid recruitment services concentrating in the Mid-Atlantic construction industry marketplace. With over 25 years of industry contacts & experience within the Philadelphia metropolitan region and developed industry relationships to work from, GMCS has become a powerful recruiting organization in this region’s construction industry marketplace. Our goal is to provide our clients and candidates with superior quality recruitment services while maintaining the highest degree of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism. Go here to find out more about our Employer and Candidate Services. In addition to employer fee-paid recruitment services, GMCS maintains an active network of experienced industry professional candidates that are currently exploring their next career opportunity. GMCS actively markets these candidates to both regional and national firms as well as partnering recruitment agencies throughout the country. Interested candidates and employers should contact Wayne Gregory today at wegregory@gregorymcs.com to discuss the best GMCS employment and recruitment solution for you.
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. 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.
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 through its companion blog under the Gregory Legislative Subscription Service (GLASS) Reports. 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. Between our companion blog at gregorymcs.blogspot.com and the newsletter, our monthly industry reach continues to exceed 4,500 industry professionals interested in discovering more about the latest Industry, Labor, OSHA, Multi-Employer Benefit Plans and HR developments here in the regional construction marketplace and abroad. Sponsorship and marketing opportunities are available to industry stakeholders and contractors; interested firms should contact Wayne Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com for more information.
INDUSTRY:
Drexel University Construction Management College of Engineering’s ASC Awards Program and Construction Industry Presentation:
Congratulations
to the Drexel University Construction Management Program Teams for their first
place 2014 ASC Heavy Construction Team and their second place 2014 ASC
Commercial Building Construction Team in the Associated Schools of Construction
- ASC Region 1 Competition.
Read
more here…
Construction contracts up
sharply for Phila. region:
Construction
contracts awarded through October in the Philadelphia region were up 54 percent
from the same period a year ago, researchers at McGraw Hill Construction
reported.
Read
more here…
Dodge Momentum Index Moves
Higher in November:
The
Dodge Momentum Index increased in November, climbing to 125.0 (2000=100) for
the month, up 0.6% from October’s reading of 124.3 according to Dodge Data
& Analytics. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or
initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have
been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full
year. After retreating from July through September, the Momentum Index has now
registered gains for two consecutive months, indicating that the nonresidential
building market continues to trend upward even with the occasional setback. The
Momentum Index is now 14% above the same month a year ago, and is at its
highest level since early 2009.
Read
more here…
What Lies Ahead for the
Construction Industry in 2015?:
CMD
Group, (formerly known as Reed Construction Data) is one of the leading
providers of construction information in North America. On November 20th, CMD
held its sixth annual complimentary economic webcast entitled ‘Is the Pace of
Construction Investment Set to Quicken?’. Expert speakers included Chief
Economists, Alex Carrick of CMD, Ken Simonson of Associated General Contractors
of America, and Kermit Baker of American Institute of Architects. Always a
well-coordinated webcast with valuable information, this year’s event proved to
be nothing less. Discussions included growth projections, active sectors,
industry employment, and the positive and negative trends affecting the
industry’s progress
Read
more here…
Dodge Forecasts 9% Rise in
Construction Starts in 2015:
This
key midyear outlook provides an update on U.S. construction starts in 2014,
including a detailed forecast of the industry's economic environment and market
trends. Robert Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill
Construction, discusses recent developments and how they shape the construction
outlook. This report includes over 30 charts, tables and graphs to visualize
market trends. New construction starts are expected to increase 5% and will
reach $560 billion in 2014.
Read
more here…
Wohlsen Construction wins 3
Awards of Excellence:
Wohlsen
Construction Company was recognized by the eastern Pennsylvania chapter of the
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) with three awards of excellence
during the chapter’s recent Awards of Excellence Banquet.
Read
more here…
$1B in real estate transactions
for Center City in 2014:
The
Center City investment market shrugged off any remnants from the recession and
pulled out a year in which $1 billion worth of commercial real estate traded.
Twenty-four
transactions were logged in the Central Business District compared with 16
totaling $700 million in 2013 and eight in 2012 totaling $96 million, according
to JLL data. The data excludes a $505 million transaction in which Comcast
Corp. bought a majority stake in Comcast Center.
Read
more here…
Value of Construction Put in Place at a Glance: October 2014:
The
U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that
construction spending during October 2014 was estimated at a seasonally
adjusted annual rate of $971.0 billion, 1.1 percent (±1.8%)* above the revised
September estimate of $960.3 billion. The October figure is 3.3 percent (±2.0%)
above the October 2013 estimate of $939.9 billion.
Read
more here…
The Employment Situation Summary –November 2014: Construction Employment
Continues to Climb:
Construction
employment also continued to trend up in November (+20,000). Employment in
specialty trade contractors rose by 21,000, mostly in the residential
component. Over the past 12 months, construction has added 213,000 jobs, with
just over half the gain among specialty trade contractors.
Read
more here…
November Construction Jumps 13
Percent:
At
a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $677.8 billion, new construction starts in
November climbed 13% from the previous month, according to Dodge Data &
Analytics (formerly McGraw Hill Construction). Nonresidential building had a
particularly strong month, lifted by the start of several unusually large
projects, including two massive manufacturing plants and an airport terminal
redevelopment. The nonbuilding construction sector also contributed to the
latest month’s surge, boosted by a liquefied natural gas facility. Meanwhile,
residential building retreated in November, as multifamily housing settled back
from its brisk pace in October. For the first eleven months of 2014, new
construction starts on an unadjusted basis were $530.8 billion, up 7% from the same
period a year ago.
Read
more here…
Metropolitan Area Employment and
Unemployment Summary – November 2014:
Unemployment
rates were lower in November than a year earlier in 341 of the 372 metropolitan
areas, higher in 27 areas, and unchanged in 4 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. Twelve areas had jobless rates of at least 10.0
percent and 147 areas had rates of less than 5.0 percent. Nonfarm payroll
employment increased over the year in 313 metropolitan areas, decreased in 55
areas, and was unchanged in 4 areas. The national unemployment rate in November
was 5.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 6.6 percent a year earlier.
Read
more here…
Philadelphia's incredible
potential to become the East Coast energy hub:
Much has been written about Philadelphia's economy
being driven by "eds and meds," shorthand for education and health
services, as well as entrepreneurship. There is another leg to the Philadelphia
regional economy that is only starting to receive significant press – energy,
which has the potential of even a more significant impact on employment and
economic growth.
Read
more here…
BIM Evolved: 8 Benefits Of BIM
In Healthcare Design:
The
design, development, and construction of sophisticated buildings relies on a
variety of tools. Building Information Modeling (BIM) is one method that's been
growing in popularity among the architecture, engineering, and construction
industries as healthcare projects continue to grow in size and complexity.
Read
more here….
Using prefabrication in
construction of new Denver hospital saved $4.3M, says CU-Boulder engineers:
Using
prefabricated elements in the construction of the new Saint Joseph Hospital in
Denver — scheduled to open Dec. 13 — cut 72 workdays off the construction
schedule and resulted in $4.3 million in savings, according to a study by
University of Colorado Boulder engineers.
Read
more here…
On Modular: After Halting Construction, Forest City Rehires Employees to
Finish Tallest Modular Tower:
After
halting construction on the tallest modular tower back in the summer, NY1 has
learned that workers are being brought back to finish the job and get some back
pay. NY1’s Jeanine Ramirez has an exclusive report.
The
tools haven't been touched, the packages are still unwrapped and the water
cooler has been collecting dust ever since work at this factory suddenly
stopped back in August. This is where the modular units were fabricated for the
B2 building, touted as the tallest modular tower in the world. Now the factory
lights are being turned on again and laid off workers rehired.
Read
more here…
Architecture Billings Index:
ABI: Demand Softens, but Outlook for Architecture Billings Index Remains
Positive:
Buoyed
by sustained demand for apartments and condominiums, coupled with state and
local governments moving ahead with delayed public projects, the Architecture
Billings Index (ABI) has been positive for seven consecutive months. As a
leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the
approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and
construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the
November ABI score was 50.9, down from a mark of 53.7 in October. This score
reflects a slight increase in design activity (any score above 50 indicates an
increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.8, following a
mark of 62.7 the previous month.
Read
more here…
LABOR:
2015 Regional Collective Bargaining Agreements for Philadelphia Commercial
Construction and Heavy & Highway Contractors:
With another
active year of collective bargaining ahead, owners and developers are urged to
keep a close eye on the current state of labor and industry relations within
the industry.
Construction
Employment Increases in 228 out of 339 Metro Areas Between October 2013 and
2014; Demand remains Steady, Firms Report Impacts from Growing Shortages of
Qualified Workers:
Construction
employment expanded in 228 metro areas, declined in 64 and was stagnant in 47
between October 2013 and October 2014, according to a new analysis of federal
employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of
America. Association officials said the construction job gains come as new
federal figures show year-over-year growth in construction spending and many
firms report impacts from growing shortages of qualified workers.
Read
more here…
NLRB overturns Register Guard - Employee use of email for statutorily
protected communications on nonworking time must presumptively be permitted by
employers who have chosen to give employees access to their email systems:
At issue in
this case is the right of employees under Section 7 of the National Labor
Relations Act to effectively communicate with one another at work regarding
self-organization and other terms and conditions of employment. 1 The workplace
is “uniquely appropriate” and “the natural gathering place” for such
communications,2 and the use of email as a common form of workplace
communication has expanded dramatically in recent years. Consistent with the
purposes and policies of the Act and our obligation to accommodate the
competing rights of employers and employees, we decide today that employee use
of email for statutorily protected communications on nonworking time must
presumptively be permitted by employers who have chosen to give employees
access to their email systems. We therefore overrule the Board’s divided 2007
decision in Register Guard to the extent it holds that employees can have no
statutory right to use their employer’s email systems for Section 7 purposes.
Read more here…
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary – October, 2014.
Construction
Job Openings rise from 112,000 in September, 2014 to 136,000 in October, 2014.
Construction Hires Levels rise from 284,000 in September, 2014 to 305,000 in
October, 2014. Construction Total Separations Levels rise from 263,000 in
September, 2014 to 280,000 in October, 2014
Read
more here…
NLRB Issues Final Rule to “Modernize” Representation-Case Procedures:
The
National Labor Relations Board has adopted a final rule amending its
representation–case procedures to modernize and streamline the process for
resolving representation disputes. The rule will be published in the Federal
Register on December 15, and will take effect on April 14, 2015.
Read
more here…
NLRB Office of the General Counsel Issues Consolidated Complaints Against
McDonald's Franchisees and their Franchisor McDonald's, USA, LLC as Joint
Employers:
The National Labor Relations
Board Office of the General Counsel has issued complaints against McDonald’s
franchisees and their franchisor, McDonald’s USA, LLC, as joint employers. The complaints allege that McDonald’s USA,
LLC and certain franchisees violated the rights of employees working at
McDonald’s restaurants at various locations around the country by, among other
things, making statements and taking actions against them for engaging in
activities aimed at improving their wages and working conditions, including
participating in nationwide fast food worker protests about their terms and
conditions of employment during the past two years.
Read more here…
‘Lack of support’ for continuation of retiree health benefits beyond length
of contract:
The Supreme
Court did not appear overly supportive of the so-called Yard-Man presumption
during arguments this week in M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett.
The Yard-Man
presumption infers that the duration of retirement health insurance benefits
established under a collective bargaining agreement is meant to apply for the
lifetimes of covered retirees if the collective bargaining agreement is silent
on the issue.
Read more here…
860 retirees part of class action suit
against Johnson Controls:
The
suit states the retirees and their spouses, through bargaining agreements with
UAW Local 1872 while they were employed, were to receive health care benefits
“throughout their retirement, with no lifetime maximum limit or cap on
benefits,” court documents state.
Read
more here…
How the NLRB may expand responsibility for labor violations:
The
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected to rule soon on if, and how,
companies can be held responsible for labor violations carried out by their
contractors or franchisees - a move that could have far-reaching implications
for businesses.
If
the five-member board decides to broaden the theory known as "joint
employer," industry groups say it will harm businesses and could
potentially set in motion a number of legal battles.
Such
a ruling by the NLRB, which oversees union elections and rules on labor
disputes, would likely affect a wide swath of industries, including hotel
chains, manufacturers, construction firms and fast food chains like McDonald's.
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: Workers to See Higher Pay Raises by
Mid-2015, WTI Signals:
Workers in the
private sector likely will see higher pay increases by the middle of next year,
according to the revised fourth-quarter Wage Trend Indicator™ (WTI) released
today by Bloomberg BNA, a leading publisher of specialized news and
information.
Read more here…
OSHA & SAFETY:
Passing of Hiliary H.
Holloway Jr., 61, principal of Holloway Safety Group and recognized industry
safety professional":
Read more here…
2015: A Busy Year For
OSHA:
With
2014 dwindling to its last months, it's time to think about what the future
will hold. And for those working in manufacturing, the 2015 rules and
regulations from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) are
something to follow.
Read
more here…
OSHA’s New Reporting
Requirements go into effect January 1:
Beginning January 1, 2015, there will be a
change to what covered employers are required to report to the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration. Employers will now be required to report all
work-related fatalities within 8 hours and all in-patient hospitalizations,
amputations, and losses of an eye within 24 hours of finding about the
incident.
Read more here…
OSHA publishes
directive for compliance officers for inspecting cranes and derricks:
Last
month OSHA issued a directive (PDF*) for OSHA compliance officers on enforcing
requirements of the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard. The new
directive provides OSHA compliance personnel with direction on performing
inspections where power-operated equipment, covered by Subpart CC - Cranes and
Derricks in Construction, is present on a construction worksite.
New web resource for
residential construction employers to protect workers from falls:
To
assist employers in selecting effective fall protection methods to protect
workers in residential construction, a new website provides details about
equipment highlighted in OSHA's Guidance Document for Residential Construction
(PDF*).
Read
more here…
The Dangers of Drywall
Stacks: Gypsum board, plywood, trusses, and similar material shall not be
stacked on edge:
GMCS
Editorial: This is a quick and excellent
read for all of my residential and commercial contractors as well as my
specialty trade and building supply clients.
More importantly, this makes an excellent subject for a Toolbox talk on
the job site. With an influx of new
workers that have limited site experience, this could be the difference between
a hospital visit, or much worse, and sending our staff home safely at night to
their families. Additionally, this
article highlights the danger of vertical stacks to other, non-trade, site
visitors.
Read
more here…
New wallet cards
available: "OSHA Reporting Requirements for Employers," "OSHA's
Hazard Identification Training Tool," and "Whistleblowers: Work
without Risk":
A
new wallet-sized card, "OSHA Reporting Requirements for Employers,"
(PDF*) details the severe injuries employers are now required to report to
OSHA.
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 $8 billion in November:
Read
more here…
In
the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA’06), Congress amended the Internal
Revenue Code (IRC) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to
make comprehensive changes to the pension funding rules for both multiemployer
and single-employer defined benefit (DB) plans. Under PPA’06, the multiemployer
funding rules were amended to encourage a long-term approach to funding and to
give trustees tools to reach financial stability. The most significant change,
however, was the creation of a new statutory framework that requires trustees
of all plans to identify projected funding problems earlier, monitor them on an
ongoing basis, and, for plans heading toward or already in financial distress,
use a new remedial approach.
Read
more here…
Congress passes multiemployer
pension reforms effort:
A
bipartisan, yet controversial, effort to help stabilize the retirement futures
for Americans through a substantial reform of the multiemployer pension plan
system passed through the House this week.
Read
more here…
Multiemployer Pension Reform Act
of 2014 signed into law:
Signed
by President Barack Obama this week, the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act of
2014 welcomes substantial changes to the multiemployer pension system that is
meant to fortify the retirement future of nearly 10 million workers.
Read
more here…
Multiemployer pension plan
reform signed into law: Now what?:
When
the House passed the most recent budget bill, it included a provision related
to multiemployer pension plan reform. In my last post, I suggested it might be
too early to count on anything being final in that bill until it made it into law.
Well, go ahead and start considering it because not only did the Senate pass
it, but President Obama signed it into law. And some professionals are touting
it as the most comprehensive legislation affecting multiemployer pension plans
since the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980.
Read
more here…
2014 Multiemployer Pension Funding Study:
Thanks
to a combination of favorable investment experience, contribution increases,
and benefit reductions, funding levels for multiemployer plans have nearly
returned to pre-crash funding levels, at least on an aggregated basis. The
significant improvement in aggregate funded status since early 2009 reflects not
only favorable investment returns, but also contribution increases (including
withdrawal liability collections) and benefit reductions enacted by plans as
they responded to the financial crisis.
Read
more here…
Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation
(PBGC) Annual Report – 2014; Despite the improving economy, an increase in
probable multiemployer plan insolvencies has dramatically worsened the financial
position of the multiemployer program:
The
PBGC insures the benefits for more than 41 million workers and retirees. During
the past 12 months, we became responsible for an additional 97 trusteed
single-employer plans with about 53,000 participants. The agency began
providing financial assistance to 9 newly insolvent multiemployer plans with
about 4,300 people. We oversee the investment of about $80 billion in assets.
And this year, PBGC attained its 22nd consecutive unmodified financial
statement audit opinion.
Read
more here…
HUMAN RESOURCES:
Highlights of the 2014 Holiday Practices
Survey: Survey Says … ’Tis the Season for Paid Days Off:
With
the holidays right around the corner, it’s the perfect time for our Holiday
Practices Survey results. Let’s take a look at how professionals responded—how
does your company compare?
Read
more here…
2014 Holiday Practices Survey Continued:
More
2014 Holiday Practices Survey findings from this timely study, including what
organizations are doing regarding employee gifts, charitable donations, and
decorations.
Read
more here…
Employers Prohibited From Reimbursing
Individual Plan Premiums Even On An After-Tax Basis
The
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released new Affordable Care Act FAQs making it
clear that employers are prohibited from providing a cash reimbursement to
employees for the purchase of an individual market policy regardless of whether
the reimbursement is on a pre-tax or after-tax basis.
Read
more here…
ACA reporting requirements are around the
corner: Are you ready?:
On
March 5, the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations on employer reporting
requirements under the Affordable Care Act that will take effect in 2015.
Employers with fewer than 50 full-time employees and full-time equivalents are
exempt from the ACA employer shared responsibility rules and the related
employer reporting requirements.
Read
more here…
HR lessons in NFL’s new code of conduct:
On
December 10, 2014, the NFL announced a new and more stringent personal conduct
policy (code of conduct) for all members of the NFL. The new code is the NFL’s attempt to create
clear standards and consistent procedures for misbehavior, after a year spent
in a deluge of criticism for its handling of player wrongdoing.
Read
more here…
Pa. Supreme Court: Non-Compete Restrictions
Need Clarifying:
The
Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to review Socko v. Mid-Atlantic Systems
of CPA, Inc., a case of interest to employers regarding what consideration is
necessary to support employee non-compete agreements. The court will decide
whether a non-compete agreement executed after the outset of an at-will
employee's tenure requires consideration beyond a statement that the parties
"intend to be legally bound." As we reported earlier this year, the
Superior Court in Socko upheld a trial court's decision that non-compete
agreements are invalid in the absence of additional consideration, even where
the employee expressly agrees to such contractual language
Read
more here…
Trends that are impacting talent attraction
and employer branding:
Universum
presents four macro-trends that are affecting the talent management and
employer branding industry: The Information Avalanche, Free Agent Nation,
Social Media Challenge, Need for agility
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 2015.
Sincerely,
Wayne E. Gregory
Gregory
Management & Consulting Services
Audubon, PA 19403
E-Mail: wegregory@gregorymcs.com
On the web: www.gregorymcs.com
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