On Oct. 29, the Construction Industry Safety Coalition released an updated COVID-19 Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan for Construction. The plan outlines the steps that construction employers and employees can take to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. The new revision to the plan relates to the section on “Employee Has Close Contact With a Tested Positive COVID-19 Individual” and new guidance from the CDC on “close contact.&rd

On Nov. 3, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued two opinion letters addressing specific compliance issues related to compensability of time under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL encourages the public to submit requests for opinion letters to WHD to obtain an opinion or to determine whether existing guidance already addresses their questions.

On this week’s episode of “The Bottom Line With ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu,” get insights on the latest GPD growth and nonresidential construction spending.

On Oct. 26, ABC submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule revising its interpretation of independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

On Oct. 27, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan attended the grand opening of ABC Greater Baltimore Chapter’s new Construction Education Academy, located at a Project C.O.R.E site in East Baltimore. This new state-of-the-art facility will house the largest concentration of building trade apprenticeship programs in the state, enabling ABC Greater Baltimore to train up to 5,000 skilled workers each year, doubling their current capacity.

On Oct. 26,the Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States by a 52-48 vote, with all Senate Democrats and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voting no. After the confirmation vote, Judge Barrett was sworn in at a ceremony on the White House lawn by Justice Clarence Thomas.

The ABC Pelican Chapter recently held a fundraiser to help staff affected by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Through the sales of “Louisiana Strong” shirts and cash donations from members, families and other nearby ABC chapters, the ABC Pelican chapter raised nearly $10,000.

On Oct. 19, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a set of Frequently Asked Questions on the effectiveness of N95 respirators against coronavirus exposure as part of the agency’s COVID-19 FAQs page.

On Oct. 8, the U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the Treasury Department,  released a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service announced an Apprenticeship Pilot Program that will identify, track and increase the number of transitioning service members and their spouses hired into registered apprenticeship programs prior to separation from the military. The pilot will run from 2020 through early 2021 and will take place at eight military installations across the United States that were chosen in collaboration with the Department of Defense.