With the rapidly changing uncertainties of COVID - 19, the construction industry has been working to keep employees safe while working to keep projects up and running. Since March, many companies have been faced with difficult decisions, which will only continue as the uncertainties of the pandemic continue. However, some companies have been able to move forward with projects while keeping up with the new guidelines.

Procore

Procore Technologies, Inc. recently launched Construction Career Board, an industry specific career site that will help both employers with recruitment as well as applicants search for new job opportunities. Through the Construction Career Board, employers are able to post jobs at no cost. Tooey Courtemanche, CEO of Procore shared, “Procore’s vision is to improve the lives of everyone in construction. Construction has been greatly impacted by the pandemic, and Procore wants to support the industry as best as we can.” Jobs that are posted can also be shared to other career sites such as BirdDogJobs, Glassdoor and Indeed.

Katerra

As of July 1st, Katerra announced that the company will lay off 7% of their employees. The company had already altered higher paid employees salaries, which at the time included Michael Marks, former CEO. In a statement to employees, current CEO Paal Kibsgaard stated, “These are very tough decisions and we do not make them lightly. Ultimately, these actions will help us accelerate our path to profitability as we continue to pursue the incredible growth opportunity in front of us.” For Katerra, layoffs will consist of more than 400 employees among human resources, civil engineers, and mechanical engineers.

Messer Construction

As many companies have been faced with the challenge of implementing furloughs and layoffs, Messer Construction has been working to keep their team members employed. The company’s projects have continued to move forward, ensuring that team members are safe on the job. Construction Dive interviewed Mark Luegering, senior vice president and COO of Messer Construction in early June. As Luegering shared “It has been incredible to see our strong employee - owner culture continue to come across the phone or computer screen when we can’t be together in person.”

Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty group chairs, executive directors, non - executive directors, and executive committee members will all be taking a 20% reduction in their salaries. As COVID - 19 has played a strong role in the economy, this has created challenges for many companies. The company noted, “At this stage, it is not possible to forecast either the duration of this disruption or its impact on the group’s financial results for 2020.” The company has also worked to focus on the health and safety of their employees during this time.

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