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�۽�ֱ�� to Provide Educational Webinars on September 26 & October 3

From April 19 through June 9, 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sponsored a Beat the Heat Contest to raise awareness of the dangers and hazards of heat exposure in both indoor and outdoor workplaces. Participants created a variety of awareness tools to increase worker and employer knowledge about hazardous heat in the workplace – ideas, logos, infographics, entire communications campaigns, videos and skits, and checklists, among others. OSHA received 195 submissions to the contest, from 40 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.

On August 25, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) formally convened the Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel, also known as a “SBREFA” panel, on a possible heat standard. The panel provides Small Entity Representatives ("SERs"), that meet the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) size standards, with an opportunity to review OSHA’s proposed approaches to regulating heat exposures in indoor and outdoor workplaces. As part of the review process, SERs will inform the agency of the potential impacts the proposal will have on the small business community as well as offer alternative approaches.

Termination for cause is costly and adversarial and has been covered in this article. But can a terminating party use equipment and tools left behind on the worksite (i.e., a crane)? The answer depends on what is in your contract.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a massive final rule Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations. The expected effective date is October 23, 2023.

Nov. 6-8 in Atlanta, GA

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has updated its substance use disorder webpage. �۽�ֱ�� members that work on construction projects under contracts with the federal government – which are typically covered by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – might find the information and resources there particularly useful. Other contractors might also find some of the resources helpful for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced a final rule on Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations, which will go into effect on Oct. 23, 2023. To help members prepare for the changes, �۽�ֱ�� has partnered with DOL officials to provide a special virtual briefing about the impact of the regulatory changes on September 6, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

The unprecedented wildfires that have devastated Lahaina and other parts of Maui the past few weeks have affected thousands of people in the island community. With the death toll, injuries, and the amount of damages rising, there is a strong desire from our members to help. The Maui Strong Fund was created to provide community resilience with resources for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The fund is currently being used to support communities affected by the wildfires on Maui. HCF is working in close collaboration with state and county leaders, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and philanthropists to get a clear understanding of the quickly evolving priorities for the Maui community. Donate Now!!

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has given employers a new option for verifying employment eligibility. On July 21, 2023, the USCIS announced a final rule, effective August 1, 2023, that allows employers to have an alternative procedure (also referred to as “permanent virtual verification”), whereby qualifying employers may inspect employees’ Form I-9 documentation virtually as opposed to performing a physical verification, which was required for all new hires until the COVID-19 exception was created in March 2020. This innovative approach aims to modernize the process of employment eligibility verification while ensuring compliance with immigration laws.