Over many years, the construction industry has developed a stigma of being filled with tough individuals who get things done.  These individuals endure all sorts of stressors in their work and their personal lives. The perception that seeking help is not something a tough person would do, is one of the many reasons along with substance abuse, why our industry is at the top of the list for suicide rates.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month – AGCVA has been sharing resources and links all month long, but I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight two valuable resources AGC member companies can take advantage of anytime you need them or at your own pace.

 

Constructed as the world’s first bridge-tunnel complex in 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel was an engineering milestone in a natural harbor already rich in history, from the landing point for voyagers who would establish the first permanent English settlement upriver at Jamestown to the first battle of ironclad vessels during the Civil War.

There is a new twist on issues revolving around tariffs potentially impacting general contractors. AGC members Chris Denny, Vice President and Associate General Counsel of Turner Construction Company, and Bob Lizza, Chief Legal Officer, Consigli Construction Co., Inc., highlighted recent developments that could have serious implications for the construction industry. At a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., there was a discussion about growing federal enforcement efforts that contractors should not ignore.

It has been publicly reported that the U.S. Department of Justice intends to “aggressively” enforce the False Claims Act (FCA), as Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston said in a speech at the Federal Bar Association’s annual qui tam conference earlier this year. FCA cases alleging that an importer evaded customs duties by undervaluing imported products, misclassifying imports, or misrepresenting a product’s country of origin are on the rise.

On March 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled Eliminating Waste and Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Consolidating Procurement centralizing the procurement of common goods and services under the General Services Administration (GSA). The order directs agencies to transition their procurement functions to GSA, particularly for the ten categories defined by the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) category management initiative, including Facilities & Construction. Federal agencies will need to justify keeping these ten categories within each agency. The Executive Order requires agencies to conduct a review of their category management and report to GSA within 60 days, and GSA to report to OMB 30 days later. AGC will continue to monitor and report on this as it develops.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the opening of the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection. In a message to EEO-1 Component 1 filers, EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas provided general guidance and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans, advancing individual equal opportunity for all, and combatting private sector and public sector discrimination. Acting Chair Lucas’ full statement and all updates about the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection, including the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 Instruction Booklet, may be found on the EEO-1 Component 1 dedicated website.

When late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was asked when there will be enough women serving on the Supreme Court, she famously responded, “When there are nine.” It seems the construction industry is beginning to feel that same way when it comes to recruiting young girls and women. It is evident the gender gap in construction is shrinking, but that doesn’t mean efforts to recruit women to the industry must slow—quite the contrary. One woman is taking advantage of the momentum with her program Transportation & Construction GIRL, an organization that hosts multiple career weeks, special programs. and an annual exhibition day each year targeted at recruiting—you guessed it—girls to the construction industry.

The changing national debate around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has contractors feeling confused. 

As summer kicks off, contractors throughout the U.S. are turning their attention to keeping workers cool during the year’s hottest days.

Dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are silent threats for outdoor workers, and projects in places like Florida and California have already faced stifling weather conditions this year. Heat indices were expected to jump to 105 degrees this week in Orlando, Florida, according to Fox 35, and a heat wave in Southern California prompted an advisory in Los Angeles while sparking wildfire concerns, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Pouring concrete is dangerous work. Cement dust irritates the eyes, skin, and lungs. Holding a pump hose is hard on the hands. Tip-toeing across rebar is tough on the feet. Now, imagine trying to get that concrete poured while wearing floppy goggles, oversized gloves, an ill-fitting safety vest, and overly bulky work boots. That’s exactly what thousands of women in construction have been doing for decades.

It’s been a long time coming, but now concrete construction workers have the same PPE protections as their colleagues in shipyards and general industry, thanks to an updated OSHA rule.