Since June when we added a blog to our re-vamped website, we’ve made a conscious decision to stick to stories, topics, anecdotes, etc that pertain to who we are and what we’re capable of as a company. At times, we’ve posted stories about the $8,000 First-time homebuyer tax credit (which is still active!) or builder confidence polls but we’ve never ventured very far into political talks or updates. As a company, it’s our belief that you don’t want to read about the politics on our site and we don’t want to talk about it. We’ll continue to stick to that agreement, but we feel that you, our builders, stakeholders, family, customers, etc should know what’s going on with health care reform and how  it will affect everyone in this industry. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590 hereto forward) contains language that is very damaging to our industry at a time when many of us can’t afford it. H.R. 3590 mandates that all businesses with 50+ employees must provide healthcare for their employees. This same mandate holds true for the Construction Industry with a major caveat. That caveat is that companies in the “construction industry” with more than FIVE employees must provide health care coverage for all of their employees.  Let us just repeat that sentence one more time so it sinks in. Companies in the construction industry with FIVE or more employees must provide health care to all of their employees. Below are reasons we feel that this provision (SEC. 10106) is absolutely unfair and unnecessary.

1. Most businesses’ health care packages are based on the best coverage they can comfortably afford.  Inherently, business owners and managers want to do right by their employees. Why should congress be able to tell a business owner that their affordable package isn’t enough?
2. In the bill, it uses the term “construction employer” to describe those affected by this provision. Does that mean XYZ builders, a company of 7 employees in Montana? Yes. Does it mean 123 Supply, a lumber supply company of 5 employees in Hawaii? We don’t know, but the assumption is that yes, yes it does. Essentially every small supplier, distributor, manufacturer, set crew, etc that you’re working with will have to add health care coverage.
3. Going on the last point, Congress and the Senate must not realize that “construction employers” already provide workers compensation insurance which already covers any workplace injuries and illnesses and also provides compensation for lost wages should an injury occur.
4. I stated “should an injury occur” for a reason. Did you know that according the Bureau for Labor Statistics (BLS) the construction industry has consistently reported fewer injuries and illnesses than the manufacturing, retail, and health care sectors over the past few years?
5. Better yet, the same BLS data cited above also states that companies with fewer than 50 employees (in any sector, not just construction) have a lower rate of injury and illness than companies with more than 50 employees.

So, in closing, we invite you to please call your representatives and voice your opposition to this provision of the bill. If he, she, or a staff member asks why [in addition to the reasons above], leave them with this thought: Our industry is currently running at 18% UNEMPLOYMENT and we’ve lost more than $200 BILLION in economic activity in the past 12 months.