Cutting Edge January 2021

Date postedJanuary 1, 2021
Cutting Edge,

News and Ideas to Keep Your Business on
The Cutting Edge
January 2021
Calendar of Events
2021
January 14:
HR Webinar -
Red to Blue, How will Change in Admin. affect you?
February 3-4:
2021 Annual Learning Exchange
(Virtual)
February 8:
Introduction to Building Material Sales
(Hickory, NC)
 
February 9-10:
Basic Blueprint Reading & Materials Take - Off Course (Hickory, NC)
February 11:
Advanced Estimating & Materials Take - Off Course
(Hickory, NC)
March 2:
Dr. Deitz NAHB Webinar - Economic Outlook: Housing a Bright Spot
for Recovery
March 24:
HR Webinar-
Recruiting & Retaining Key Employees While Our Nation Heals From Covid
April 7:
HR Webinar -
You Hired Them, Now What? Onboarding
Best Practices
April 15-16:
CFO Roundtable
(Virtual)
 
April 21-23:
Sales Manager Roundtable
(Hilton Head, SC)
 
April 25-27:
Roundtable 1
(Charlotte, NC)
 
April 28-30:
Roundtable 7
(Knoxville, TN)
May 5:
HR Webinar -Performance Management: Going
Beyond the Annual Review
May 13-14:
Roundtable 5
(Lexington, NC)
June 16:
HR Webinar -
If it’s Not Documented, it Didn’t Happen:
Essential Employee Documentation
We come to Learn, to Grow in knowledge, and to Connect with others.
BMSA will host a Tremendous Virtual Line-Up for your Whole team:
3 Break-Out classes will be hosted both Feb 3 & 4 to give more of your team the opportunity to participate!
January Education
Time & Priority Management - Jan. 8th
  • Managing delays & completing tasks on time
  • Taking initiative & prioritizing tasks
  • Accepting responsibility
  • Maintaining more effective time spent at work
Red to Blue, how will the Change in Administration Affect You? – Jan. 14th
The new Presidency will bring several changes in the coming 12 months. We will see new policies for safety & vaccinations from OSHA & Labor Departments. What could these changes mean for your lumberyard? Stay informed of new regulatory measures here!
U.S. Department of Labor Reminds Specific Employers to Submit Required 2020 Injury and Illness Data by March 2, 2021
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminds employers that the agency will begin collecting the calendar year 2020 Form 300A data on Jan. 2, 2021. Employers must submit the form electronically by March 2, 2021.
Electronic submissions are required by establishments with 250 or more employees currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses.
Visit the Injury Tracking Application Electronic Submission of Injury and Illness Records to OSHA for more information and a link to the Injury Tracking Application.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
(Source: OSHA Trade Release, Jan. 2021)
Congress Strikes Agreement on COVID-19 Relief and Government Spending Legislation
In late December, Congress introduced legislation that will provide approximately $2 trillion in COVID-19 relief to individuals and small businesses and fund the government through September 30, 2021. Both the House and Senate voted on the bill.
 
The legislation provides $320 billion for small business relief, with $280 billion designated for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In addition, the legislation includes $600 in direct payments to individuals and $300 per week in supplemental unemployment insurance for 11 weeks, which is down from $600 per week in the CARES Act. Due to disagreements between Republicans and Democrats, Congress did not include funding for state and local governments and employer liability protections.
(Source: NLBMDA Member Alert, Dec. 2020)
BMSA TO OFFER BLUEPRINT READING CLASSES
Next month BMSA will offer its popular Basic Blueprint Reading & Material Take-off Course, as well as an Advanced Estimating Course. The Basic Blueprint Reading workshop provides 2 full days of instruction on residential construction methods, blueprint reading, and material take-off. Attendees will gain hands-on experience figuring an actual set of working drawings. Attendees will learn to identify blueprint symbols and details while developing an understanding of elevations, floor plans, framing, and sectional views. They will be introduced to various residential construction methods and estimating formulas. This basic course is paramount for anyone in the building supply industry who wants to grow in their understanding of residential construction and sales. This class will be held on February 9 & 10. For more information, click the button below.
In addition, BMSA will also be offering the one-day Advanced Estimating Workshop on February 11. This class will provide a deeper understanding of residential framing, as well as increased efficiency in completing material estimates. This workshop goes beyond basic house design and focuses on the difficult areas of completing complex framing take-offs. Only persons with some prior estimating experience should register for this class. For more information, click the button below.
Introduction to Building Material Sales is the perfect workshop for people new to the
building supply industry. This class provides entry-level personnel who have limited industry
knowledge with a basic understanding of building material operations, product usage in
residential construction, customer service, and how profits are made (and lost). This workshop is
scheduled for Monday, February 8. For more information, click the button below.
All classes will be held in Hickory, North Carolina.
IRS Standard Mileage Rate for 2021 is down 1.50 cents
The Internal Revenue Service has issued the 2021 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes.
Beginning on January 1, 2021, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) will be:
  • 56 cents per mile driven for business use, down 1.5 cents from the rate for 2020,
  • 16 cents per mile driven for medical, or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, down 1 cent from the rate for 2020, and
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations, the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2020.
Minimum Wage to Increase in Two BMSA States
Two states in BMSA’s six-state region plan to increase the minimum wage in 2021. Ohio’s minimum
wage went up 10 cents on January 1. The Buckeye state’s minimum wage increased from $8.70 to $8.80 per hour for nontipped employees. Virginia’s minimum wage is set to increase on May 1, 2021, to $9.50 an hour from the current $7.25.
In both North & South Carolina, as well as Tennessee, the states’ minimum wage will remain at its current rate of $7.25. For 2021 West Virginia’s minimum wage will remain at its current rate of $8.75 per hour.
Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency FMLA Provisions Now Voluntary
As the mandatory paid leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act contained a sunset date of December 31, 2020, covered employers are no longer required to provide Emergency Paid Sick Leave or Emergency Family and Medical Leave benefits to employees.
However, the most recent stimulus and spending act signed into law in December extended the ability of covered employers to voluntarily provide such leave through March 31, 2021, and continue to claim tax credits when doing so.
There was no increase in the amount of leave allowed to any employee; no changes to the eligibility
requirements; and employers remain subject to the same record-keeping requirements to justify the taking of any tax credit.
(Source: Sloan, Montgomery, Gregory & Hall, INC. Info Release, Jan. 2021)
Expanded Unemployment Benefit Provisions Extended
The new stimulus bill did contain a provision extending the expanded unemployment programs that were put in place under the CARES Act last spring.
These provisions include:
  • Pandemic Unemployment Assistance – Provides state unemployment benefits to workers who lost their job as a result of COVID. This also applies when an employee is not allowed to work by the company for a period of time due to being considered as a “close contact” of a COVID positive individual.
  • Pandemic Emergency Unemployment – Provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits on top of the normal state amount.
  • Additional Payments – An additional $300.00 per week will be paid to individuals receiving state unemployment benefits. This provision runs through March 14, 2021.
(Source: Sloan, Montgomery, Gregory & Hall, INC. Info Release, Jan. 2021)

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