DC GovCon of the Year Nominations Due June 11

Deadline for nominations for the DC GovCon of the Year Awards are June 11.

Presented by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce’s Greater Washington Government Contractors Council (GovCon), Professional Services Council (PSC) and Washington Technology, the 8th Annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ will be announced at an evening gala some have dubbed the “Academy Awards of government contracting.” It is a truly unique networking event which draws 900+ industry and government leaders.

Categories include:

• Contractor of the Year (less than $25 million)
• Contractor of the Year ($75 million to $300 million)
• Contractor of the Year ($25 million to $75 million)
• Contractor of the Year (greater than $300 million)

Good luck!

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): What You Need to Know

By Samantha Byrd, HR Business Partner, Helios HR

If you are a government contractor, whether you have 15 employees or 1500 employees, you need to understand the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Government contracts are heavily regulated, and if a contractor fails to comply with the complex array of government contracts laws and regulations, liability can be substantial.

The difference between exempt and non-exempt employees is who gets paid overtime and who doesn’t. Not knowing the difference between these categories could cost you a lot of money. Employees who qualify as “exempt” are exempt from overtime regulations (and minimum wage laws), whereas “non-exempt” employees must be paid for every hour of overtime they work.

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Reaching the Next Level

PVBS sponsored an eye-opening event on May 18 for fast growing government contractors on “How to Reach the Next Level” with our partners Goodman and Co. and Rutherfoord. The room was filled with executives looking for tips on how they should be modifying their behavior as they win new contracts, hire more people, and pursue bigger opportunities.

John Sweeney of Rutherfoord stressed the need to look for growing diversity in scope of work, added layers of supervision, new facilities with associated requirements, and pending mergers or acquisitions. At this point, you can respond early, focus on the total cost of risk and act to build the foundation upon which your growth will continue.

Ken Bricker at Goodman and Co. is a frequent speaker at industry events and a world-renowned expert on FAR and DCAA compliance. One of his key messages was the need to pay more attention to expanding compliance issues as companies ascend to the next level. He stressed that this knowledge needs to extend across the organization.

Paul Skurpski, PVBS VP of Sales and Marketing, noted a common thread being the need to continuously improve your people and processes.

Bill Aims at Tax Scofflaws

This article was submitted by Warren Corbett, Managing Editor, Set-Aside Alert www.setasidealert.com.

Contractors would be required to certify that they don’t owe significant back taxes under legislation approved by the House. The tax provision is part of a major overhaul of defense acquisition practices, but it applies to all agencies. The House approved it April 28 by a vote of 417-3. It now goes to the Senate. The provision would require contractors to certify that they do not owe delinquent taxes of more than $3,000 at the time they bid on a contract. In January President Obama ordered the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget to develop a plan to block contracts to tax scofflaws. He said federal contractors owe more than $5 billion in delinquent taxes. (Set-Aside Alert, 2/5)

The IMPROVE Acquisition Act, H.R. 5013, also calls for the Defense Department to increase its outreach to “nontraditional suppliers…of all business sizes,” companies that have not previously sought defense work. The Armed Services Committee’s Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform said small and mid-sized companies could be a source of innovation as well as increased competition. The bill aims to increase accountability by both defense acquisition personnel and contractors. Many of its provisions are aimed at services contracts, which now account for the majority of defense procurement dollars. The Acquisition Reform Panel said DOD policies are geared for buying weapons systems rather than services.