The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its 2009 fiscal year performance and accountability report, and the numbers continue to reflect that employment issues are a major liability concern for employers. During the EEOC’s 2009 fiscal year, more than 93,000 charges of discrimination were filed against private employers. This is the second highest number of federal employment discrimination charges filed against private employers in the last 20 years, trailing last year’s record of 95,000 charges. In addition to the continued high level of administrative charges, the EEOC received its largest budget increase in 10 years, increasing its enforcement budget to more than $340 million dollars. In just the past few months, the EEOC has added more than 155 additional investigators, trial attorneys, support staff and paralegals. The EEOC’s Chairman, Stuart Ishimaru, stated that he expects the EEOC to continue its increased hiring in 2010. (more…)

During contract negotiations, members of the construction industry must decide whether to send their disputes (if any) to private arbitration or to litigation through the court system. Unfortunately, more times than not, these dispute resolution procedures are overlooked until it is too late. This article looks at the two procedures by which construction disputes are typically resolved and the pros and cons of each.[1] (more…)

Dr. Albert Niemi, currently the Dean of the Cox Business College at Southern Methodist University, recently gave his annual economic forecast at a meeting in Atlanta at the invitation of the Bank of North Georgia – a forecast he has given to Atlanta leaders for more than 10 years. His comments are always interesting and provide many valuable insights. We hope you’ll read the synopsis of his comments below and use them as a thought-starter as you plan for 2010. (more…)