Smokers and overweight people will be the targets of employer surcharges next year. As part of new rules in President Obama’s healthcare overhaul, big construction firms and other companies can crack down on unhealthy employees who are driving up healthcare costs. “Nearly 40 percent of large U.S. companies will use surcharges in 2014…(Read More)
Several jobs that made this list from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are construction-related. And what’s also noteworthy is these dangerous jobs don’t pay very much. For instance, roofers, construction laborers, and structural iron and steel workers all have high fatality rates due to falls. The pay in each of…(Read More)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing changes to its recordkeeping that may not be well-received by employers. The amendment wouldn’t necessitate additional steps, but would add requirements for the electronic submission of injury and illness information employers are already mandated to keep. Joe Mont, a reporter for ComplianceWeek.com, explains that…(Read More)
Transferring liability and additional endorsements can be tricky for construction companies that work with subcontractors. To add to the confusion, the courts often get involved when claims are filed. The Lockton Companies, which provides insurance and employee benefits, has produced a short slide deck on the topic. Lockton concludes that two recent court decisions are…(Read More)
Move over OSHA. Construction employers and others in more than 20 states are facing changes in laws involving guns on workplace property. The various legal modifications address the liability of a business if a weapon is used on an employer’s property. “Some companies have taken the changes in stride, but others are rewriting their…(Read More)
President Obama has been able to keep the budget axe from slashing his controversial Affordable Care Act. Now lawmakers—and employers—are looking towards implementation. Following the 16-day government shutdown, attorney Wally Miller, a shareholder with Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, said the new stopgap measure doesn’t do anything right now with respect to…(Read More)
Here’s a thorny issue: Should companies use applicant’s Facebook ‘Likes’ and develop a personality profile based on these preferences? It may be less expensive and time consuming than administering psychometric tests, which are usually reserved for high level executive positions. Do you think watching online behavior is a fair way to assess someone…(Read More)
The engagement movement is shifting the foundation of work, writes David Zinger, founder of the Employee Engagement Network. “Together, change management and employee engagement form an intriguing alliance,” explains Zinger. “For change to be successful, we need to engage people fully in the change. Frequently, a shift to fuller employee engagement is contingent upon making…(Read More)
Coordinating and supporting various steps in complex construction projects is no easy task. Some of the top academic programs are based at Brigham Young University at Provo, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, and the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The list of schools was compiled by the National Center for Educational Statistics. “One…(Read More)
Lawmakers in Pennsylvania are mulling a bill that would bring right-to-work laws to the Commonwealth. If passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, the measure would give individual employees in a unionized workplace the right not to join or financially support the union. “Twenty four states, plus Guam, have passed right…(Read More)
