The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), Arlington, VA, has announced a new addition to its MemberTools[TM] program. ACCA LegalTools[TM] is designed to provide information to members on general legal matters concerning labor and employment, regulatory compliance, and contract issues.
ACCA has retained the Washington, DC law firm of Gurne, Porter & Baulig to help respond to member questions regarding employee compensation, wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination issues, and other small business issues that affect HVACR contractors.
Legal Tools enables member contractors to submit questions through the ACCA website. Questions already received and answered through ACCA's website include such topics as: "Can I require my employees to work overtime, and if so, how much?", "What are the rules for compensating lunch breaks?", "Can I lay off an accident-prone employee?", and "Can I withhold money for items owed to me in a final paycheck?"
While ACCA cannot provide full-scale legal service through the program, it enables contractors to get quick, knowledgeable answers to general questions which they can use in daily operations or to determine whether or not legal counsel should be retained.
For more information about ACCA’s LegalTools or MemberTools, visit www.acca.org, or contact Hilary Atkins, ACCA corporate counsel, at 703/ 575-4477, e-mail [email protected]