In This Issue:
  • New Construction Guidelines Released
  • Upcoming Webinars
  • Empire Chapter COVID-19 Resources
New Construction Guidelines Released
Friends – this Merit Messenger is dedicated to getting you ready for the re-start of the construction industry. For some of you, that will be today. For others, that will be in the coming days. Regardless of when it occurs, the following information is going to be critical to you, your employees and your projects.

Late Wednesday evening, the Governor’s office released the guidelines to keep construction projects going and to start (or re-start) others. You can find the new guidelines HERE.

What do the new guidelines tell us? The good news is they reflect what most, if not all of you, are already doing to keep people safe. Some quick bullet points:

  • Social distancing and reduced density are required. Keep people limited to one person for every 250 sq. ft of space. Keep people 6 ft apart unless it creates a safety issue or the work task requires people to work closely together
  • Cloth facial coverings will be required and OSHA approved PPE when inside the 6 ft. recommendation
  • Daily screenings of staff to reduce COVID exposure
  • Safety plans need to be onsite and accessible
  • An onsite staff member will need to be identified to enforce your safety policy
We’ve talked a great deal about the need for you to have a good safety plan in place for both the office staff as well as on the jobsites. We had webinars this week covering both topics. You can review the webinar recordings below and download the PowerPoint slides.
We also provided you sample plans you can customize. You can download by clicking the buttons below:
For our members in the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier, North Country, and Central New York regions, you started back today. We wish you success as you blaze the trail for the rest of the state. Please make sure that you sent in your Attestation that you have a plan and you’re going to follow the requirements of the state. You can submit your commitment HERE.

The other regions of the state are not far behind. The remainder of the state looks to be on a path to get back to “normal” right around Memorial Day.
ABC fought hard to make sure that all construction returned first. That’s happening. Now you and your employees are accountable for keeping construction open. We need to continue to push for better safety. We need to make sure the industry holds itself accountable. Should that not happen, we will see the state rollback construction again.

Let’s be the leaders we’ve always been. Let’s lead through our actions and drive better results across all industries. Let’s do the right thing, keep everyone safe, keep construction open and STOMP OUT COVID-19!
Brian Sampson
ABC Empire State Chapter President
Onboarding That Works

When: May 19, 2020 12:00 PM

Join ABC Empire Chapter member, SimcoHR's Jack Spike in a webinar discussing the new concepts in orientation and onboarding while following effective onboarding practices. Learn about designing a system and the role of performance management.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Prevailing Wage: New Reporting & Record Keeping Obligations
When: May 20, 2020 10:00 AM

ABC Board Member, Tom Santa Barbara, of DirectAdvisors will outline the new prevailing wage bill passed in New York's 2020 budget which contains changes to reporting and record-keeping obligations to maintain that you’re in compliance and avoid any fines.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Missed a webinar? Click below for our library of recordings