The value of running a tight ship

By Emma Peterson. 

As regulations evolve, contractors who embrace systems and accountability are finding it easier to stay compliant and protect their operations. 

In a new From the Ground Up™ episode, Karol Weyman sat down with John Kenney, CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, to talk about the legal, safety and compliance changes happening right now and how outdoor contractors can keep up with everything that’s happening.  

What’s changing right now 

When Karol asked John about the biggest changes is regulation he’s currently seeing, he immediately highlighted labor and employment. He explained:  

Worker classification, overtime rules and documenting required requirements that continue to evolve. And I see a lot of contractors especially get into trouble with these, worker classification and overtime rules in particular, because they’re not up to date on the changes.  

He also mentioned safety compliance and environmental regulations. For safety, he emphasized that the changes happening are more related to enforcement rather than written policy, sharing, “OSHA isn't necessarily rewriting their rule book, but they are increasing enforcement. They're more aggressively paying attention to things like heat illness prevention, fall protection, trenching and documentation.” As for the environment regulation changes, John noted that “things like stormwater management, erosion control, runoff protection and material disposal requirements are becoming more stringent in a lot of areas.”  

And the last thing he touched on was permitting and licensing, which he described as “continuing to become more complex, especially for contractors that work across multiple cities and counties.”  

How do adapt to all of this?  

It can be overwhelming to think about all the areas that John highlighted where regulations and policies are evolving, but he emphasized that there are ways to adapt your operations that will make it easier to keep up with the changes. His main suggestion? Run a tight ship. He explained:  

Today's contractor has to be much more structured than even when we were ten years ago. Take worker classification as an example. I tell people that managing workers today isn't just assigning work. You have to document the training, their performance, safety strategies, incidents, etc. By having that documentation in place, both the employer and employee are protected in the case of disputes or issues. 

This is just one example of how running a tight ship and embracing systems of documentation and record-keeping can help your business navigate evolving regulations. John put it best, “The contractors that embrace systems are finding compliance much easier than those trying to manage everything from memory. And compliance isn’t just about avoiding fines, it’s key to protecting and growing your business.” 

Want to learn more about navigating today’s regulatory environment? Listen to the whole episode or Watch the recording!