The Blog

Employer Notice to Employees ​The deadline for employer notice to employees has been extended from May 31 to June 30, 2019. The notice, which may be provided electronically, must include the opportunity for an employee or self-employed individual to acknowledge receipt or decline to acknowledge receipt of the information. Exemption Deadline Extended for Quarter 1 The Department’s current guidance requires that exemptions for private plans must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter in which they will go into effect. For Quarter 1 only, however, the deadline to file for a private plan exemption that will be in effect for first quarter contributions for paid family and medical leave has been moved from June 30 to September 20, 2019. This will allow employers additional time to contemplate private plan options. Going forward, the Department will continue to accept applications on a rolling basis but applications must be approved in the quarter prior to the quarter in which they go into ef ...

Leaders in the construction industry have spent decades working to identify, implement and fine-tune jobsite safety practices. Construction Safety Week, May 6-10, is a recognition of that progress, but also a national, industry-wide call to action to promote safety best practices and the importance of an uncompromising commitment to safety in the construction industry. At ABC Massachusetts, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure all construction workers go home in the same—or better—condition than when they arrived on the jobsite. Applying world-class safety processes dramatically improves safety performance, according to ABC’s 2019 Safety Performance Report, an annual assessment of STEP safety management system data. Based on information gathered from ABC member companies recording just under one billion hours of work in construction, heavy construction, civil engineering and specialty trades, companies that attained the highest level of STEP performance—Diamond—r ...

Karl Hudson, 2019 ABC MA Chairman We all remember times when just surviving seemed to be the number one goal in our industry.  Today the challenge is finding enough qualified employees to meet the demand for construction services. As important as all that is, it is absolutely essential that we send every one of our employees home safely to their families at the end of each day.  That will be the focus on Thursday, May 16, when the Gould Construction Institute (GCI), ABC’s fully licensed training affiliate, holds its annual Safety & Education Night at the Burlington Marriott. At the dinner, GCI will honor member companies who have achieved excellence through ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP), which is an organized approach for analyzing and developing safety loss prevention programs.  But that’s just the beginning: ​ We will honor Gould instructors and students receiving certificates of completion;  Representatives from the Electrica ...

On Thursday, May 16th, GCI and ABC will hold our annual Safety & Education Night at the Boston Burlington Marriott to honor member companies who have achieved excellence through ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP).  But did you know there are critical educational seminars before the celebration even begins? And this year, we are offering TWO different seminars to choose from, with both beginning at 4:00 PM, followed by an exciting night celebrating the STEP Award Winners, and more! Option 1: Annual OSHA Update - Regulatory Statistics, Worker Shortages, Opioids, Hot Work and more! ​ ​Kimlee Lindgren, Lead Instructor and Curriculum Developer for Construction & Maritime, OSHA Training Institute Educat ...

WASHINGTON, April 17 (Via ABC National) —According to the results of Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2019 Workforce Development Survey, ABC members invested $1.6 billion to educate their employees in 2018, up from $1.1 billion in 2013. The 45% increase in spending resulted in nearly twice as many course attendees—more than 980,000—receiving craft, leadership and safety education to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction.  “The increase in spending on education demonstrates ABC member contractors’ commitment to developing employees, which is producing results in recruiting and retaining a skilled, safe and productive workforce,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC’s vice president of health, safety, education and workforce development. “With more than 90% of members reporting a worker shortage and construction spending at near-record highs, this is the time to invest in our people, expand career opportunities and secure ...

  Play Pause   ​BOSTON -  Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs across Greater Boston, recently announced the completion of the addition, restoration and renovation of the historic Congregation Kehillath Israel (KI) in Brookline, Mass. Congregation KI began as a small collective in 1911 and was granted a Charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1917. In celebration of its centennial year ...

Walker Park Apartments in the Egleston Square neighborhood of Boston BOSTON – NEI General Contracting, an award-winning general contractor and construction management firm, recently announced the completion of Walker Park Apartments in the Egleston Square neighborhood of Boston for Urban Edge, a national leader in the community development field. This is NEI’s sixth project for Urban Edge and creates 49 units of affordable housing. The two-building apartment complex is named for Delphine Walker, founder of “Hands Around Egleston”, who was a tireless activist for the neighborhood and its children.   Located on three blighted, vacant urban infill sites surrounded by an otherwise active community, NEI handled the demolition and removal of existing structures before erecting two four-story buildings. Adjacent to a public library and public playground in a transit-rich community, 67 Walker Park has 32 units and 80 Walker Park has 17 units. Both apartment build ...

​Amesbury, MA, April 12, 2019: RPF Environmental, Inc., an environmental health and safety (EH&S) consulting and testing firm, recently received certification through the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) for work with Massachusetts public agencies. Services include environmental health and safety (EH&S) testing and consulting for construction, reconstruction, demolition, maintenance, or repair projects.   DCAMM is responsible for capital planning, public building construction, facilities management, and real estate services throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The agency oversees the Commonwealth’s capital assets, totaling over 65 million square feet, and it manages over $2 billion in projects. DCAMM works with state agencies on the full cycle of their strategic facility needs. Examples of projects to be completed by RPF Environmental, Inc. include, hazardous materials surveys prior to renovation or demolition activity, indoor air quality assess ...

JM Coull President Andy Coull accepts the 2018 ABC National Safety Excellence Pinnacle Award Maynard, MA – JM Coull (JMC) was recently awarded the 2018 Pinnacle Safety Award, which is the highest level attainable under ABC’s national safety recognition program. In order to qualify for this honor, firms must have achieved a 2018 ABC Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Award at the Diamond, Platinum, or Gold level. JMC was qualified at the Diamond level (the firm has achieved Diamond status every year for the last eight years). Firms were honored during ABC’s Workforce Week 2018 in Long Beach, CA. General contractors seeking Pinnacle-level awards must demonstrate exceptional safety performance and world-class leadership commitment to safety, foster a culture of safety that is embraced by all company employees, and implement procedures to mitigate hazards before they occur. JMC was the only general contractor from Massachusetts to win the award in its category (catego ...