Cole Johnson Joins Business Advocacy Group for New Department of Labor Pilot Program

PHOENIX - Sept. 29, 2014 - PRLog -- Cole Johnson, president of Paul Johnson Drywall, was asked to serve on the business advocacy group for a new pilot program called the Employee Misclassification Compliance Assistance Program (EMCAP), which is being initiated by the Department of Labor’s Phoenix District Office of the Wage and Hour Division (DOL). Johnson was asked to serve as a representative of the construction industry. Other industries being targeted include hospitality, janitorial, food service and security.

EMCAP was developed by the DOL, in cooperation with the business advocacy group, which is comprised of business leaders from various industries. The program is designed to address the growing issue of worker misclassification, which the DOL identified as a trend arising from the business practice of utilizing independent contractors and other contingent workers opposed to hiring employees, thus improperly classifying workers. To address issues arising from this business practice, the DOL launched a five-year Misclassification Initiative in 2011.

In order to provide a mechanism for companies that may have erred in their classification of workers that allows them to address the issue without creating the potential for further exposure with DOL, the group established the EMCAP pilot program in Arizona. EMCAP intends to increase compliance, while providing employers with an opportunity to conduct a self-audit. Employer requests to participate in this program will be accepted from October 1 until November 28, 2014. More information about EMCAP can be found at www.emcapaz.wordpress.com.

In May 2014, Paul Johnson Drywall (PJD) president Cole Johnson began initial collaborations with the DOL by implementing its classification initiative. As a result of this effort, PJD reactivated 1,325 workers as W-2 employees and hiring 627 new employees, taking the firm to nearly 2,000 employees.

About Paul Johnson Drywall

Established in 1967, PJD is an Arizona-based drywall contractor, and one of the largest in the Southwestern United States with offices in Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott, Arizona. The family-owned business has long-been the drywall contractor of choice for the most prominent home builders in the region, providing high-quality drywall and related services for single-family, multi-family and commercial projects across the region. With safety, efficiency, quality and professionalism as its core values, PJD attracts and maintains the best crews, meets deadlines, and delivers exceptional craftsmanship, which has established the company’s reputation as a leader in the industry. For additional information, visit: www.PaulJohnsonDrywall.com.