Gregg RobertsonNov 3, 2023
As expected, the annual statutory cap of 66,000 H-2B visas for the federal fiscal year 2019-2020 was reached on Feb. 18. This means that all…
Gregg RobertsonNov 9, 2023
Last December, Congress approved an additional 65,000 H-2B visas above the statutory limit of 66,000, subject, however, to the approval of the secretary of the…
Landscape contractors in 21 states and 26 counties and cities will see the hourly wage that they must pay their workers rise as of Jan.…
As an occupation, landscape contracting employees run one of the highest risks for getting Lyme disease. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)…
Two issues that should be on your radar screen are the H-2B fly-in in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13 and the new federal overtime rules…
The controversial federal E-Verify system may already be required for landscape contractors in your state. If not, it may be coming soon. E-Verify is a…
While the H-2B guest worker program used by many landscape contractors had its best year since 2008, program advocates find themselves once again engaged in…
In the early 2000s, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed a list of seven target industries on which to concentrate its compliance…
President Trump has made immigration enforcement the centerpiece of his administration. This enforcement thrust has increased the pressure on the landscape contracting industry to be…
On May 20, 2019, the EPA published notice in the Federal Register canceling the registrations of twelve neonicotinoid-containing pesticides (neonics).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an interim decision on the herbicide glyphosate. They have received pushback from environmental groups.
On March 7, the Department of Labor (DOL) proposed regulations concerning the much-anticipated revised threshold for workers exempt from overtime pay. The rule proposes to…
For those of you who have seen the Bill Murray classic movie, “Groundhog Day,” the H-2B saga seems reminiscent. As part of the deal to…
Rolling the H-2B stone up the Hill again After a 35-day partial government shutdown, Congress passed a temporary three-week spending bill without — you guessed…
A tentative agreement to double the number of H-2B visas and implement other reforms to the guest worker program did not move forward in December,…
Last Friday, Dec. 7, funding for several federal agencies was due to run out unless Congress passed a set of appropriations bills, which we hoped…
With the Nov. 6 midterm elections just days away, what can we expect come Jan. 1 in the new Congress? The consensus of the pollsters…
The H-2B returning-worker provision and some modest H-2B reforms did not make it into the fiscal year 2019 federal appropriations bills, as business advocates had…
This summer, the landscape contracting industry has faced what may be the tightest labor market in its history. With the economy running at full tilt,…
For an industry that spends most of its time outside, the increase in diseases caused by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas should be a huge concern.…
For a moment in mid-June it seemed like the stars might be aligning for getting the returning-worker exemption reinstated in the H-2B visa program.…
Last Sept. 23, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) silica dust rule went into effect. This regulation is designed to protect workers from exposure…
A bill recently introduced in the Louisiana House of Representatives could bring a halt to the use of private professional certifications in that state. Certifications…
Taking advantage of the “must-pass” omnibus federal spending bill for fiscal year 2018-2019, advocates for the H-2B guest-worker visa program managed to get an…
