On August 31, 2018, President Trump signed an executive order designed to make it easier for smaller businesses to band together and offer retirement plans to employees. The order directs the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Treasury to propose regulations that allow unrelated businesses to offer what the order calls association retirement plans (ARPs) by relaxing the requirement that small business have a common interest to form what’s commonly known as a multiple employer plan, or MEP. The idea is similar to association health plans (AHPs), which received a regulatory boost when, in June, the Department of Labor finalized a rule to make it easier for small businesses to join groups or associations to offer insured health coverage in the large group market at potentially more favorable pricing with less restrictive requirements.

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced new directives, including new procedures for reviewing contractor compensation practices and a program to verify that contractors are in compliance with federal affirmative action program (AAP) requirements. These new directives are part of the Department’s efforts to maximize the effectiveness of compliance assistance outreach.

Union contractors may not rely on contributions to typical vacation or welfare plans as a basis for claiming the temporary exclusion to the federal contractor paid sick leave rule, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has informed AGC. WHD provided the information to AGC in response to questions posed by AGC on behalf of questioning members. It supports AGC’s prior urgings that all union contractors working on federal projects should act promptly to come into compliance with the rule’s mandates.

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is announcing a minimum wage increase of $0.25 to $10.60 per hour to be paid to workers performing work on direct federal contracts and subcontracts covered by Executive Order 13658. Federally assisted contracts are not affected. The rate goes into effect on January 1, 2019.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has announced that in the upcoming weeks, it will hold public listening sessions to gather views on the Part 541 white collar exemption regulations, often referred to as the “Overtime Rule.”

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council on August 22 issued a final rule adopting a December 2016 interim rule that implements Pres. Obama’s Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors executive order and the related September 2016 final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next conference call on September 13 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The agenda includes updates on recent developments in labor relations and government affairs of interest to union contractors as well as a roundtable discussion about developments around the country. Participation is free and open to all AGC-member union contractors and chapter staff, regardless of committee membership. (AGC nonmembers may not participate.)

On August 10, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced its plan to start scheduling focused reviews of federal contractors beginning in Fiscal Year 2019. Directive 2018-04 directs OFCCP staff to “work towards ensuring that a portion of future scheduling lists, starting with Fiscal Year 2019, include focused reviews as to each of the three authorities that OFCCP enforces.”

Early Bird Cutoff Date Extended One Week Only!

Apply for AGC’s Diversity & Inclusion Awards by October 15