Both the House and the Senate have many ideas when it comes to health care reform, but the one proposal that appears to be present across the board is a requirement for private companies to provide health insurance for all employees and their families.  While this mandate may be well-intentioned, what does it actually mean for America's employers? 

In accordance with a July 8 announcement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has formally proposed a rule to rescind the so-called No-Match Rule first issued by the Bush Administration in 2007.  The proposed rule seeks to reinstate the language of the regulations as it existed prior to the effective date of the No-Match Rule.  Comments are due no later than September 18, 2009.

On July 15, 2009, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance for employers and workers in response to recent inquiries about waivers of discrimination claims in employee severance agreements.

Attend AGC's HR Professionals Conference and Training & Development Conference October 27-29, in Atlanta and learn what you need to know to be successful as an HR or T&D professional in the construction industry.  With expert speakers providing compliance-related guidance for HR professionals, and interactive sessions that are guaranteed to help T&D professionals sharpen your skills and solve common challenges, you will learn best practices for maximizing efficiency and effectiveness.  Register and learn more at www.agc.org/hr_td.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has announced the location of five additional prevailing wage conferences, following its inaugural conference, which drew more than 400 participants to Washington, D.C.  Each conference will be offered free of charge to employers.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), responsible for ensuring that contractors doing business with the federal government do not discriminate and take affirmative action, recently opened registration for its 2009 National Forum (Forum).  The Forum will be held on September 9, 2009, in the Washington, D.C., area.  The specific location has not yet been announced.

The rate of union representation in the construction industry increased modestly in 2008 for the second consecutive year following a steady decline in the decade preceding 2006.  Using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) reports in its latest biennial report on union representation trends that the percentage of workers represented by a union in 2008 was 16.2 percent.  This compares with 14.4 percent in 2007 and 13.6 percent in 2006, according to BLS data.

On July 14, 2009, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued a notice of proposed rulemaking implementing President Obama's Executive Order 13502, by creating new FAR contract clauses to be included in Federal contracts should an agency choose to require a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on a particular Federal construction project.  Comments are due on August 13, 2009.

AGC held a regional meeting with the National Construction Alliance II (NCAII) on July 13 in Chicago, IL.  About 50 members and staff from various collective bargaining chapters in the Mid-America Region of AGC's Executive Leadership Council attended, along with Operating Engineers General President Vince Giblin, Carpenters General President Doug McCarron, Union Contractors Committee Chairman Jim Clemens, AGC Union Contractors Committee Staff Associate Denise Gold, and NCAII Executive Vice President Ray Poupore.

Construction HR professionals have been burdened with the responsibility of properly handling reductions-in-force (RIFs), lay-offs and furloughs; sometimes at a moment's notice.  These situations can be difficult to handle legally, practically, and emotionally.