The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has teamed with Federated Insurance to offer ACCA members six new workplace safety resources for free. Federated Insurance developed and produced the new programs to help ACCA members implement safety and human resources best practices in their businesses.

It’s a dreadful responsibility, but almost every contractor will eventually come face to face with the disagreeable task of terminating one or more employees. As difficult as the task may be, fiscal reality sometimes makes employee layoffs unavoidable.

Are you, as an HVACR contractor, making a conscious effort to consistently reinvent your business? Don’t be deterred by the trouble Mitt Romney is having consistently reinventing himself; it works better for a business than a presidential candidate. Trust me.

If one of your employees calls her boss an insulting or obscene name on her Facebook page, you might think you could fire her without fear of reprisal. But you could be wrong. One company found itself in exactly that situation.

Recognizing the depth of consumer concern and its potential impact on their business, many service contractors have initiated employee screening processes to avoid hiring staff who may be convicted felons or registered sex offenders. These are generally described within the HVAC industry as safe hiring programs.

According to the latest outlook from the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), economists are predicting moderate growth, a brightening employment picture, and an increase in housing starts in 2012.

Tool policies should be reviewed at least annually to confirm that contractors and technicians are both satisfied with the arrangement, as well as to ensure that everyone is clear on who provides which tools and what the rules are for broken, lost, or stolen tools.

Any employer who has faced potential class-action wage-and-hour lawsuits knows what a headache they can be. Due to a recent court ruling, employers have a lot more to worry about. That case, Pippins v. KPMG, has caused tremendous turmoil and confusion among those who follow employment litigation and electronic discovery.

Do you arrive at the office each morning prepared to accomplish a list of goals you have set for yourself? Or are you the type who arrives full of energy for the day ahead and gets caught up immediately in a minor problem that sidetracks you until the day is half gone and you have not really accomplished much of anything? 

Iconics names industry business development manager.