Is short too short? This article tries to answer that question for construction contracts by delving into the major differences between short-form agreements and regular standard ConsensusDocs contracts.

The AGC Education and Research Foundation is once again offering undergraduate and graduate level scholarships to students pursuing excellence in construction management and related engineering programs. With a history of awarding over $11 million in scholarships to more than 4,000 students nationwide, we are dedicated to fostering the next generation of leaders in the construction industry.

Total construction spending increased by 0.5 percent in August, driven by increases in most large nonresidential construction segments in addition to residential projects, according to an analysis of federal spending data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials said that while growing demand for construction is welcome news, construction firms remain concerned about finding enough qualified workers to keep pace with demand.

Introducing "AGC's Construction Risk Insights," a valuable resource dedicated to enhancing risk management practices and optimizing project success within the construction industry. Check out Issue #1 here. We're thrilled to unveil this newsletter, designed exclusively for the AGC community. Delve into a wealth of AGC-focused content encompassing critical areas such as construction contracts, insurance, bonding, safety, labor, environment, finance, technology, and beyond. Join our growing community of industry leaders - subscribe online at https://www.agc.org/news/newsletter and elevate your risk management expertise with AGC.

On September 19, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) awarded approximately $12.7 million in grants to 100 non-profit organizations across the nation to support education and training to help workers and employers recognize serious workplace hazards, employ injury prevention and understand workers' rights and employers' responsibilities under federal law.

In a continued commitment to bridging academia and industry, the Robert L. Bowen Industry Residency program, a partnership between educational institutions, AGC contractors, and the AGC Education and Research Foundation, has seen remarkable success since its inception in 2011. This unique initiative has sponsored a total of 49 industry residents, providing educators with invaluable field experience to enrich their teaching methods.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposal to Define and Delimit the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Associated General Contractors of America recently urged the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division to abandon or at least postpone issuance of this anticipated proposed rulemaking. The DOL last updated these regulations as recently as 2019, going into effect in 2020, which strongly suggests there is no need for urgency in issuing more changes.

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently provided a private member only virtual update on the changes in their massive final rule “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations.” Specifically, Jessica Looman, Principal Deputy Administrator for the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), and additional WHD officials provided a topline review of the final rule and fielded a number of questions from attendees. A copy of the slides can be found here. While we expected more clarity from the DOL, instead they mostly directed people to the preamble of the rule for further clarification. While the WHD has provided limited resources and is offering several webinars on September 14th and 13th, no further guidance is expected before the effective date of October 23, 2023. More information and webinar links can be found here.

Program Offered at the 2023 Construction HR and Workforce Conference