Developing your playbook

Employee handbooks are a must-have for every company. They set the tone of the organization, communicate expectations, policies and procedures, explain benefits and affirm compliance with state and federal law. Above all, a good handbook protects your company, especially in the case of a lawsuit, according to attorney Josh Levy of Husch Blackwell.

Levy and attorney Robert Sanders outlined the essentials of a solid employee handbook during a session at ABC of Wisconsin’s 2018 Human Resources Conference. Read the rest of entry »

Budget priority sessions offer opportunity for ABC members

ABC members may want to use the Governor-elect's budget priority sessions this month to share issues important to them, specifically, how 1:1 apprenticeship ratios, the elimination of prevailing wage and PLA neutrality have expanded training and/or opened up more work to more contractors in the state ...   Read the rest of entry »

Navigating Wisconsin voting leave and employer politicking restrictions

With the highly advertised midterm elections quickly approaching, it is a great time to review Wisconsin’s “Election Restrictions on Employers” and “Time off for Voting” statutes. Wisconsin Statute § 12.07 indicates that Wisconsin employers may not refuse time off for an employee who wishes to use that time to vote. Wisconsin Statute § 6.76 allows for an employee to miss up to three successive hours from work to vote, provided that the employee notifies the employer of their intended absence prior to election day. Read the rest of entry »

Drones, marketing and construction

Drones are becoming an increasingly popular way for construction companies to capture aerial footage of job sites for marketing and planning purposes, but what does it take to get started? Natalie (Braun) Gregerson, a marketing associate with Kraemer Brothers in Plain and a licensed drone pilot, discussed her experiences using drones for her company during a Marketing & Sales Shared Interest Group meeting on Oct. 11 at Friede & Associates in Reedsburg. Read the rest of entry »

2019 inflation adjustments announced for HDHPs and HSAs

The Internal Revenue Service announced the 2019 inflation adjustments for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These adjustments include maximum HSA contributions, minimum deductible amounts and maximum out-of-pocket limits. Read the rest of entry »

ABC VP talks workforce development on Rural Wisconsin Initiative podcast

ABC of Wisconsin Vice President Kelly Tourdot was featured on the inaugural edition of “RuralCast” – a podcast created by the Rural Wisconsin Initiative – to discuss apprenticeships and workforce development opportunities in rural areas of the state. The Rural Wisconsin Initiative was created in 2016 by rural legislators to explore bipartisan policy solutions related to the challenges rural areas face in education, health care, workforce development and technology. Read the rest of entry »

Indemnification – Big word, big risk

Almost all businesses enter into numerous contractual agreements each year. These agreements are often given the same cursory review as an iTunes Agreement. Failure to closely scrutinize the details of these agreements can adversely impact the business’s total cost of risk in the event of a problem. The provision within the contract that impacts the business’ cost of risk more so than any other, especially in construction, is the Indemnification Agreement. 

Contractual risk transfer is a critical component of effective risk management, but whether one is transferring the risk or assuming it, the exposure needs to be understood as not all indemnification clauses are covered under your insurance contract.  Read the rest of entry »

How small and disadvantaged contractors can be part of the Foxconn project

A number of public and private groups in Wisconsin are looking to assist small and disadvantaged businesses become involved in the development of Foxconn. This comes on the heels of a recent survey that indicated small and disadvantaged contractors were not bidding on Foxconn projects. 

“We need you all at the table and we need you all working on this project,” said Chris Hagerup, Deputy Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC of WI goes 4-4 in last week's primaries

Last week Tuesday’s primary elections included some surprises (including two long-time incumbent Milwaukee-area state representatives losing). ABC of Wisconsin and its members were pleasantly surprised when all four of its primary preferences prevailed and will be on the ballot in November. All four of these pro-merit, pro-free enterprise candidates need your help to be elected in November. Read the rest of entry »

Emerging Leader – Working on the business

A common theme in the ABC of Wisconsin Construction U Emerging Leader program is the transition from employee to decision maker. Several of our participants describe it as moving from working in the business to working on the business. The difference between the words in and on is significant. Read the rest of entry »