The Soto Law Group, P.A.

HB 0521 Regulation of Cranes This issue has been before the legislature for several years and finally passed in this session. It amends Section 489.113 of the Florida Statutes to preempt any regulation of hoisting equipment, mobile cranes, conveyors, and tower cranes used in construction. This prevents a patchwork of different regulations by cities and counties. The effect is to make the recent OSHA changes to the rules regulating crane operations as the single standard to be followed. In addition, the prohibitions and preemptions include work site regulations regarding hurricane preparedness or public safety. Effective Date:   April 2012     SB 1202 Construction Liens and Bonds Section 95.11 was amended to make it clear that payment bonds under Section 255.05 and Chapter 713 as well as payment bonds under Section 337.18 are subject to the one year statute of limitation established in those sections. Payment bonds which are not subject to those sections also have a on

             The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued new Enforcement Guidance regarding employers’ criminal background policies, taking a tougher stance against blanket employment policies that automatically reject job candidates with criminal records. The new Enforcement Guidance is rooted in the EEOC’s long-held view that an employer’s use of criminal history information has a tendency to disproportionately and adversely affect minority groups and, thus, violate Title VII.               Previously, employers had to consider three criteria when making the decision to hire an applicant with a criminal background: 1) the nature and gravity of the offense or conduct; 2) the time that has passed since the offense or conduct and/or completion of the sentence; and 3) the nature of the specific position the applicant has applied for.             Now the EEOC recommends that employers go through an extensive “individual assessment” on each candidate, including