|
Project Focus: The Greening of Concrete This article from the New York Times really caught my eye with its focus on green building and the evolution of concrete. Yes, concrete. The article notes that 5% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions come from the manufacture of Portland cement. The industry has already reduced its carbon footprint by improving its manufacturing process. One company is working to eliminate that footprint by developing a product that sequesters carbon dioxide. And, some of the concrete used on the St. Anthony Falls bridge in Minneapolis was formulated to scrub pollutants from the air. The new bridge replaces the steel bridge that collapsed in 2007. |
|
Fair Pay Act Extends Employer Exposure In an alert we shared with our clients, our Labor and Employment Group noted how this January 2009 enactment greatly increased employer exposure to claims for discrimination. Rather than requiring a filing promptly after the act of discrimination, the employee's time limit for filing re-sets with each new paycheck that reflects a pay inequity. |
|
Upcoming Seminar:
Employment Law Alphabet Soup Rebecca Bennett, a partner in our Labor and Employment Group, will be speaking at a seminar in Cleveland on June 10, 2009. She will discuss topics in Wage and Hour Law, while her co-presenters will address Immigration, Discrimination, Ethics, and other topics. Continuing education credit for attorneys and HR professionals is available. For more information, including registration details, follow this link. You can also contact me at the e-mail link above if you would like to schedule an in-house seminar for your company. |
|
Federal Contractors Must Meet New Pro-Labor Requirements Under three executive orders issued by President Obama, companies doing business with the Federal Government must meet three new requirements. They may not use project funds for anti-organizing efforts, they must inform employees of their NLRA rights, and they must comply with a "right of first refusal" hiring requirement. You can review this client alert for more details. |
|
Contribute Your Experience to Construction and Real Estate Industry Survey In the last edition of this newsletter, I included a link to an article summarizing the results of accounting firm Skoda Minotti's 2008 construction industry survey. The results of that survey revealed important information about industry conditions and the expectations of industry participants. Skoda Minotti is now gathering data through another survey. You can follow this link to add your voice to this important analysis. |
|
Linkedin for Construction Professionals
You may have heard that Linkedin is surging in importance as the social networking site for job seekers. I have found, by using discussion boards on sites maintained by groups for construction professionals, that Linkedin is also an excellent resource for following industry news and trends. The Construction Professionals Forum has more than 2000 members, with 100 new members joining in the last week. While some posts are mere advertisements for products or services, one recent discussion board vetted common complaints about subcontractors and suppliers, while another gathered input on effective bidding and project management software. And, based on what I have seen of the group memberships of some of my friends, there are numerous groups for every profession or interest. The "Quick Links" section to the left includes a link to my profile on Linkedin, from which you can explore that site. |
|
Disclaimer
This document is intended to provide general information about legal developments, not legal advice. Receipt of this information does not create an attorney-client relationship.
|
Thank you for taking the time to review the second issue of my e-newsletter. In this issue, you will find several key legal alerts we prepared for our clients. Also, I provide links to an important regional construction and real estate industry survey, a summary of a green construction project, and a report on a professional networking service. 