The McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), aka Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS), requires contractors and subcontractors on covered contracts to provide specified wages and fringe benefits to covered employees (i.e., “service employees”). While that may sound fairly straightforward, there are many nuances and complexities that can cause great concern and angst when working toward compliance with the SCA. At the top of the list of these administrative burdens is the appropriate distribution of Health and Welfare (H&W).
Sheri Buchanan
Sheri joined Redstone Government Consulting, Inc. in December 2012 as a Human Resources Consultant. She provides HR consulting services to our customers on a wide range of issues, from specific projects to an ongoing outsourced solution of the human resources function. Sheri has two decades of experience in providing a comprehensive assessment of all areas of HR, including establishing and implementing policies and practices, contract transition efforts/onboarding, and investigations. Sheri’s experience covers a broad spectrum of compensation planning and analysis for total compensation projects, reasonableness assessments including executive compensation, compensation philosophy development, total reward strategies, benefits analysis, market pay and pay equity evaluations. She regularly supports clients with the analysis and mapping of labor categories and the preparation and analysis of wage calculations and supports clients in pricing disputes with DCAA. Sheri has a wealth of experience in navigating the many compliance challenges associated with Service Contract Act and Davis Bacon Act. She has been a valuable resource to our clients in all these areas. She stays abreast of the various requirements of the Department of Labor and, of great importance to government contractors, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, as well as other federal and state regulations impacting human resources. Professional Experience Prior to joining Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., Sheri served in various roles in the Human Resources arena. While employed by a mid-size government contractor she assisted with database development, recruiting, affirmative action planning and contract proposals. Sheri later became an Employment Specialist with one of the largest employers in Huntsville, where she assisted and led managers in the interpretation and documentation of the progressive disciplinary process, conducted employee investigations and allegations of discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge and employee disputes, conducted unemployment hearings and conducted new employee orientation. Sheri developed and presented management training, administered facility compensation plan, monitored staffing budgets and wrote job descriptions and handbook revisions.Recent Posts
Topics: Employee & Contractor Compensation, Small Business Compliance, Human Resources, Service Contract Act
If chosen carefully and skillfully, a Human Resources Management (HRM) Technology Solution can significantly improve workplace productivity, enhance compliance, and encourage employee engagement. The various acronyms (i.e., HRM, HRIS, HCM) utilized to describe HR technology solutions often create confusion. Essentially, a robust Human Resource Management system, “HRM” as we will call it, brings together human resources (full life cycle of applicant tracking through onboarding-to-termination), timekeeping, workforce management, payroll, and data analytics all under one technology solution—a comprehensive, full-suite single solution.
Topics: DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources, UKG Ready HR Software Consulting
Over the last few years, with the competitive labor market and the evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work arrangements, I've had many conversations (some feeling more like counseling sessions) with clients who have become very tired and frustrated by the rising compensation and work-related demands of candidates. These conversations included questions like:
This article is under review as a result of EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, signed by President Trump on January 21, 2025. As we await further information from OFCCP and the courts, please reference this article for current status and action items.
The Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued the FY 2023 Corporate Scheduling Announcement List, commonly referred to as a CSAL on January 20, 2023. This list includes 500 supply & service contractors selected for an Establishment Review, Corporate Management Compliance Evaluation (CMCE), or Functional Affirmative Action Program (FAAP) review. These reviews help determine whether a covered contractor maintains records consistent with their obligations under OFCCP’s laws, has correctly certified in the GSA’s System for Award Management database and has established Affirmative Action Programs (AAP) at each establishment.
Topics: Human Resources, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
In this competitive labor market, it is more crucial than ever to be creative with compensation and benefits. Compensation programs and retention strategies have expanded beyond base compensation and bonuses to include all methods in which employees are rewarded and incentivized. As a Federal Government Contractor, it is especially important to understand the FAR requirements, which may impact compensation decisions and to document all processes and procedures related to your compensation program.
Topics: Human Resources, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
This article is under review as a result of EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, signed by President Trump on January 21, 2025. As we await further information from OFCCP and the courts, please reference this article for current status and action items.
Throughout this series, we’ve explored the fundamentals of compliance with the regulations administered by the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and many of the components of a written Affirmative Action Plan. In this final blog of the series, we will answer a question frequently asked of us…What do you do with all this information?
Topics: Government Compliance Training, Human Resources, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
This article is under review as a result of EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, signed by President Trump on January 21, 2025. As we await further information from OFCCP and the courts, please reference this article for current status and action items.
As mentioned throughout this series on Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Affirmative Action (AA), recordkeeping is essential. A particularly important component when developing your AAP , as shown in a previous blog, is Applicant Flow (i.e., records pertaining to each “applicant”). When working with clients, we find that this tends to be the most complex and often confusing information requested. Following are answers to some of the most common questions we are regularly asked:
Topics: Government Compliance Training, Human Resources, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
This article is under review as a result of EO 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, signed by President Trump on January 21, 2025. As we await further information from OFCCP and the courts, please reference this article for current status and action items.
We hope that the previous blogs have provided a solid explanation as to what an Affirmative Program is and who the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is. The requirement to maintain a written plan/s and ensure all action items noted within the plan are being executed can be a daunting task. As we begin to steer away from the basics of what the various requirements and components of a written plan are, we will begin to dive into helpful tips and best practices. As shown in the diagram from a previous blog in this series, the establishment of Job Groups and Activity records are critical to establishing a valid Affirmative Action Plan and are therefore worth focusing on.
Topics: Government Compliance Training, Human Resources, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
Overview
- The 2021 EEO-1 data collection period closed on May 17, 2022, but there’s still time to file your report if you missed the deadline!
- The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFFCP) has released a new Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for Supply and Service Contractors.
- Covered federal contractors must certify their Affirmative Action Plans (AAP) through the OFCCP Contractor Portal by June 30, 2022. Please contact our HR Team if you need assistance with your AAP or the certification process.
- The US House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act on March 18, 2022.
Topics: Human Resources
