On Aug. 31, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a notice in the Federal Register to announce that the minimum wage for federal contractors will increase from $10.80 per hour to $10.95 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2021.

On Thursday, Sept. 10, ABC will continue its Election Briefing Series with an exclusive Mid-America and Midwest region election update. It will be followed by two national updates from the National Republican Congressional Committee on Thursday, Sept. 24 and the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Thursday, Oct. 22.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, President Trump’s memorandum deferring payroll tax obligations went into effect. This memorandum allows for the deferral of the employee portion of federal payroll taxes — 6.2% for social security and 1.45% for Medicare — from Sept. 1, 2020, until Dec. 31, 2020, for workers earning less than $4,000 on a biweekly basis or $104,000 annually.

On Thursday, Aug. 27, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published new frequently asked questions for workers and employers regarding qualifications for paid leave eligibility under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, specifically adding new guidance detailing paid leave options related to schools reopening.

David Allen Co. of Raleigh, North Carolina, a member of ABC’s Carolinas and Central Florida chapters, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor status by ABC.

ABC’s Top Performers lists—the only rankings of their kind—recognize member contractors’ achievements in safety, quality, diversity, project excellence and special designations, ranked by work hours. You must achieve STEP Gold or higher and earn the Accredited Quality Contractor designation to qualify—applications are due by Oct. 30 for consideration in the rankings.

On Aug. 25, ABC, the National Association of Home Builders and the Mason Contractors Association of America filed a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to effectively narrow the scope of the beryllium final rule issued at the end of the Obama administration.

On Aug. 24, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-5, which clarifies employers’ obligations to track the hours of compensable work of employees who are teleworking. The guidance responds both to the needs created by new telework or remote work arrangements that arose in response to the coronavirus and to other telework or remote work arrangements

The Construction Industry Safety Coalition  released an updated COVID-19 Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan for Construction on Aug. 18. ABC, a member of the CISC Steering Committee, encourages its members to review the plan, which includes the latest protective measures and guidance on keeping workers safe on jobsites.

Virginia has promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 that applies to all employers performing work in the commonwealth. The rule took effect July 27, and employers are required to train workers under these requirements by Aug. 26 and have a response plan by Sept. 25.