On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!: Is Government Getting a Clue

A couple of new items have been in the news, and both seem related to government agencies realizing they are losing money-a lot of money. The IRS noted that 80 percent of all construction sites have misclassification of employees by calling them “contractors.” The state of California has realized that many contractors on public funded jobs are cheating. Nationally, the IRS is going harder than ever after misclassification.

In California, the Department of Labor is introducing a Compliance Monitor Unit. This new unit will monitor projects in attempt to catch violators of wage fraud in the act, and prosecute on the spot. Will all this work? Who knows, but they seem to be paying more attention than ever before.

Mark Fowler joined Walls & Ceilings as editorial director in 2006. Fowler grew up in the construction business and has held a number of positions in different companies and associations. He spent 11 years with the Northwest Wall and Ceiling Bureau before moving to his position with Soltner Group Architects in Seattle. Fowler is currently the executive director of the Stucco Manufacturers Association. He can be reached at Mark@markfowler.org.