A federal appeals court affirmed dismissal of litigation filed against a Travelers Corp. unit in connection with a performance and maintenance bond it had issued to a sanitary district’s contractor. In 2007, Milford, Iowa-based Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District contracted with Sioux City, Iowa-based McHan Construction Inc. to complete a $14.6 million dollar addition to […]
Read MoreMost states require construction contractors to be licensed and bonded. The bond is similar to an insurance contract – if the contractor fails to perform in any way under the contract, you can file a claim against the bond to get the money you’re owed. Depending on the reason for the dispute, you also may […]
Read MoreOn October 8th, 2015, California governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 467 into law that increases the license bond requirement from $12,500 to $15,000 for California contractors, among other new provisions. The law will take effect January 1st, 2016, though more information regarding implementation details will likely follow shortly. While several bills signed into law this year […]
Read MoreThe California Legislature introduced over 2637 bills in the second half of the 2017-2018 session. This article summarizes some of the more important bills affecting contractors in their roles as contractors, effective January 1, 2019, unless otherwise noted. Not addressed here are many other bills that will affect contractors in their roles as businesses, taxpayers, […]
Read MoreOwning a small business can be difficult, especially with so many different aspects to manage. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help small business owners, including plenty of events in Michigan. Here are some useful events coming up in 2017 for small business owners, from webinars about social media to events connecting you to […]
Read MoreLANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — With the new year comes a new set of laws for people living in Michigan. While many of the measures deal with medical and recreational marijuana, others impact the workplace, including a hike in the state’s minimum wage and mandatory paid sick leave for many employers. On Sept. 5, the Republican-controlled Legislature […]
Read MoreOn September 5, 2018, Michigan’s Republican majority legislature adopted a ballot proposal on paid sick leave. With that step, legislators removed the proposal from the November general election ballot and retained the ability to amend the law with a simple majority vote (instead of the three-fourths vote required to amend a ballot initiative if it […]
Read MoreGRAND RAPIDS, MI — West Michigan’s economy is on track for a strong year in 2019, but steel and aluminum tariffs and a skilled worker shortage continues to hurt businesses, an economist told a gathering of regional business leaders Tuesday. “I’m seeing good stuff for the economy,” said Jim Robey, director of regional economic planning services at […]
Read MoreLANSING, Mich. – Five business expansions that will generate a total of nearly $114 million in private investment and create 306 jobs in West Michigan have received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today. “Today’s investments will fuel new economic activity in West Michigan, strengthen communities and create good jobs […]
Read MoreS.B. 1343 requires that all employers of 5 or more employees provide 1 hour of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to non-managerial employees and 2 hours of sexual harassment and abusive conduct prevention training to managerial employees once every two years. Existing law requires the trainings to include harassment based on gender identity, […]
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