The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department announced on April 21 further details of tax credits available under the American Rescue Plan to help small businesses, including providing paid leave for employees receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.

AGC Learns More About Loan Forgiveness for PPP Loans Over $2 Million

According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction executive staff wage increases came in at 3.8% for 2020 and are projected to rise by an average 3.4% in 2021. Though it is pointed out that historically executive staff predictions are low and readers are warned that it might not be until late in the second quarter that we get a better sense of true year end expectations.

AGC chapters and members should be aware that fraudulent unemployment claims are on the rise. While this has been a problem throughout the pandemic and while the construction industry is not a unique target, many AGC members have reported experiencing such claims and some have reported a spike in recent weeks.

Now that the country is on course to see all adult Americans eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in a matter of days, and an increasing number of employees are returning to the workplace, vaccination status is likely to be an increasingly common topic over the coming weeks and months. This has led many AGC members to ask: when and how can employers ask their workers whether they’ve been vaccinated without getting into hot water? Whether it’s an innocent question asked while trying to make conversation or an inquiry posed to determine whether someone can return to normal duties, employers need to understand their legal rights and obligations regarding this serious topic. Missteps can easily lead to legal complications.

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) has released its latest edition of the Union Labor Costs in Construction. The report covers trends in collectively bargained compensation in the industry, providing data analyses by region, time, and trade. It can be a valuable resource when preparing for collective bargaining

Please join AGC of America, and its partners on the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, in planning to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction, April 19-23. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the safety, effectiveness, and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination among construction workers.

Employers Have from April 26 Until July 19 to Submit Component 1 Data After delaying the opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collections on May 8, 2020 in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that the collections will now open on Monday, April 26, 2021.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently announced the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) hiring benchmark for 2021. Effective March 31, 2021, the hiring benchmark will be 5.6 percent, slightly down from 5.7 percent in 2020. This benchmark is an annual goal for the percentage of hires who are veterans at each affirmative action plan (AAP) establishment

AGC of America has released an analysis of how the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 (PRO Act) would affect open-shop construction contractors, as well as a shorter summary on the same topic. The papers are posted on AGC’s PRO Act web page along with similar papers addressing the bill’s potential impact on union contractors, an AGC ConsructorCast recording, and other PRO Act resources.