March 8 (BNA) -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued a simplified one-page fact sheet to help small businesses better understand their responsibilities under federal anti-discrimination laws, the agency announced March 3. The fact sheet, which is available in 30 different languages and links to other EEOC resources available to small businesses, is a product of the agency's small business task force led by Commissioner Constance Barker (R).

ABC recognized the country’s top construction projects as well as leading company-wide safety and diversity programs at the 26th annual Excellence in Construction® Awards gala March 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

ABC’s General Counsel, Maury Baskin of Littler Mendelson, Washington, D.C., argued against the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) controversial “ambush” election final rule on March 3. Baskin argued against the rule, also known as Representation-Case Procedures, in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, New Orleans, La. on behalf of ABC of Texas, the Central Texas Chapter of ABC and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). A ruling in the case is expected in the late spring or early summer.  

On Feb. 25, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Wage and Hour Division released a proposed rule to implement Executive Order 13706 requiring certain federal contractors to offer employees up to seven days of paid sick leave annually, including paid leave for family care. ABC’s General Counsel Littler Mendelson, P.C prepared an in-depth analysis of the DOL proposal, which can be read here. 

ABC congratulated the winners of its 2016 National Craft Championships competition during the March 4 Careers in Constructions awards held during the association’s Workforce Development Conference, March 1-4, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

On Feb. 17, ABC sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) expressing concern over several regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). 

On Jan. 20, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Wage and Hour Division Administrator David Weil released a detailed Administrator’s Interpretation (AI) and related guidance on the definition of joint employment under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA).  The new DOL guidance comes on the heels of recent, controversial expansion of the joint employer definition by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). According to the new DOL guidance, joint employment occurs “when an employee is employed by two (or more) employers such that the

The 2015 National Safety Award Pinnacle, Excellence and Merit Winners are:

On Feb. 12, the West Virginia legislature voted 18-16 to override Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin’s vetoes of  a prevailing wage repeal bill and the West Virginia Workplace Freedom Act, making West Virginia the 26th Right to Work state in the country and the fourth state to pass Right to Work since 2012. 

Last week, the New Hampshire House rejected a bill (House Bill 1641) that would have required prevailing wage be paid on all state construction projects. Citing a union-backed study, proponents of the bill argued the legislation would create jobs, spur economic activity, and raise workers’ wages without increasing the cost of projects. Opponents rejected those assertions and insisted the state would pay more for construction projects under the provisions of the bill.