July 14, an updated document on Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues was released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).ÌýLittler Mendelson, P.C., has issued an analysis, which includes some important compliance steps employers should take.Ìý

President Obama issued Executive Order 11246 July 21, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees and prohibits discrimination based on gender identity in federal employment. The executive order affects federal contractors and federally-assisted construction contractors and subcontractors who do over $10,000 in government business in one year.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law July 22 and has the potential to create great opportunities for ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmembers who have been looking for skilled workers to fill the labor shortage. Here’s how it directly affects ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmembers:

In the July 16 ruling of Merit Construction Alliance v. City of Quincy, the First Circuit Court of Appeals found that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts a controversial city ordinance that forced contractors to “engage in a bona fide apprentice training program" registered with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards as a condition of bidding for city work.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is looking for responses to two surveys regarding the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLA) on projects in Hawaii and Washington. In addition, the U.S. Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) is requesting comments on a PLA survey for a project in California.

OSHA has released an updated list of almost 500 industry groups that are exempt from programmed safety inspections for FY2015; the list includes five construction-related North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. An employer would be exempt from a programmed inspection when there are 10 or fewer employees at a worksite.

With six short months before the Terrorism Risk Insurance act (TRIA) is set to expire, the U.S. SenateÌývoted 93-4 to pass the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2014 (S. 2244) which would ensure the construction industry is able to secure affordable terrorism insurance for seven more years.

The modern construction jobsite office (or trailer) is evolving every day. The old days where a field superintendent rents a small connection box with a roll-up door for tool access and a small corner desk are gone. The status quo today appears to be a 40 by 10 ft. mobile trailer with a bathroom and office space at each end, fully equipped with the latest gadgets.

Updated summaries of employer requirements included in the Affordable Care Act are available for ÀÏÅ£Ó°ÊÓmembers in reference documents provided by Washington Council Ernst & Young. The documents are available in theÌýHealth Care Law Employer Toolkit (login required) on ABC’s website.

With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moving forward with a rulemaking to expand its existing Lead Renovation and Repair Painting rule to include public and commercial buildings, ABC, as a part of the Commercial Properties Coalition, submitted comments on EPA’s framework for identifying and evaluating lead-based paint hazards from renovation, repair, painting activities in public and commercial buildings.