Earlier this week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a new series of enforcement priorities on which it will focus over the next five years. By releasing its second-ever Strategic Enforcement Plan, the EEOC provided a clear message to employers regarding the areas that will occupy a considerable amount of attention when it comes to investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation from 2017 to 2021.

Julie Huval, Beck Technology The acronym “BIM” is showing up more and more in our industry. Owners are requiring it on projects, countries are setting standards for it, and firms are touting expertise in it. But what is Building Information Modeling (BIM) and, as marketers and business developers, why should we care?

On October 24, the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas granted a request for preliminary injunction against parts of the Obama Administration's implementation of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, or "Blacklisting" as it is known, Executive Order. As a result direct federal contractors will not—at this time—be required to report labor law violations with their bids on federal contract solicitations and awards.

Wednesday, Nov. 16 | 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST

Mike Clancy, Cynthia Paul, FMI Corporation Contractors’ get work departments can be like a car with a bad alignment. While everyone is working hard to get where they want to go, some of the effort is being pulled toward the “ditch” of low hit rates, missed opportunities and undeveloped client relationships. All that is needed are a few key adjustments to win your fair share of work.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released its final rule to implement Executive Order 13706, which requires federal contractors to provide paid leave to employees for sickness and other covered purposes. AGC submitted extensive comments regarding the DOL proposed rule and testified before Congress on the significant statutory and practical compliance problems the executive order presents for the construction industry. Many of the complications in the proposed rule remain in the final rule, but several changes were made in response to AGC requests. Answers to key questions about the rule are provided below.

On September 29, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that starting March 2018, it will collect summary employee wage and hours-worked data from some employers. Employers are required to continue use of the existing form until March 2018, when 2017 data will be reported. Visit the EEOC’s website for a sample of the new form.

On September 23, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced a significant expansion of its Mega Construction Project (MCP) Program. The expanded program will use new, standardized processes, expanded resources, experienced new staff, and agency oversight, including the addition of a national coordinator.

Executive Order 13658 was signed by President Obama in 2014, and its corresponding regulations implemented an hourly minimum wage for workers performing work on covered federal contracts of $10.10 per hour beginning on January 1, 2015. The order mandated that the Secretary of Labor determine a new minimum wage annually, based on the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for urban wage and clerical workers. Notice is required to the public at least 90 days before the new wage goes into effect each year.

In conjunction with FMI, AGC's Surety Bonding and Risk Management Forum recently completed a survey of the risks that today’s construction contractors have high on their radar screens -- and the various ways that contractors are dealing with those risks. The 83 responses that AGC and FMI received from 83 best-in-class companies collectively approaching $50 billion in annual volume suggest the following: