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Government Contractors' Newsletter |
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For the serious small government contractor |
September 2011 | |
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COST & PRICING DVD
COMPASS (most popular), NAVIGATOR, or GUIDE Pack
(as low as only $395.00)
Ideal Ongoing Reference Tools
Recorded Live
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Cost effective alternative to attending live workshop.
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Looking for the Pool & Base Sample Spreadsheet Template reviewed in our Part 1 Workshop to practice with?
Feel free to browse our main website and online community. |
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Greetings,
Hope all is well. Maybe yes, maybe no? I have a message in the inspirational corner on trying to deal with difficult times and people, or maybe yourself.... smile!
Please note: Due to our Community Site update and maintenance, we were unable to upload the articles for linking. Therefore, for this issue, the full text of all articles is included.
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There seems to be an increasing focus on compensatory time, uncompensated overtime, total time accounting, and other various labor/timekeeping issues. It can be confusing at times. At a minimum, you should see that this function is documented in your policy manual to some degree.
The DCAA or DCMA, DOL, and FAR do not always seem to be on same page and, even within agencies, the interpretations of law can be varying.
So, I gathered a few articles of reference that should shed more light on the subject and hopefully assist in making decisions for your company on how to handle the function.
But remember, you will at sometime, most likely, come across an auditor that does not agree with your conclusions. So, document your policy, reference the guideline(s) used to establish your policy, follow your policy, and be prepared to defend it (Tactfully).
That's life!
Have a productive and blessed day as I keep all in prayer.
Reminder: Don't forget the October 18-19 Cost & Pricing workshop for Government Contractors. Register now or view more information later in this issue or online. This is the final workshop for 2011.
Enjoy this issue Paul Sr.
You can send comments/suggestions directly to me at paulgunn@paulgunn.com |
Gideon Services, Inc. receives SBA 8(a) certification approval!
Congratulations to Gideon for receiving their 8a certification approval this month. They are also CVE Verified as an SDVOSB.
Gideon Services visit us here |
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Statement from SBA Administrator Mills on 'QuickPay'
Please take note of the following and follow-up with SBA on timing and implementation. Search on "Small Business Jobs Act" and also, determine if there are any restrictions or regulations that pertain to this valuable change in policy. Remember, it often takes time from Policy to Implementation. Cash Flow is always a key factor in sustainability for the very small business. This will do wonders, IF implemented expeditiously with minimum administrative burden or restrictions to small business. Paul Sr.
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Release Date: Sept 14, 2011 | Contact: Dan Crawford (202) 205-6920 | Release Number: 10-51
WASHINGTON - SBA Administrator Mills statement on the President's "QuickPay" announcement today to cut in half - from 30 days to 15 days - the amount of time it takes federal agencies to pay small businesses for the products and services they deliver to the federal government:
"The thousands of small businesses that provide great products and services to the federal government have a big reason to cheer the President's 'QuickPay' announcement today. When small contractors get their money in 15 days instead of 30, it results in a permanent infusion of cash flow into their businesses. They can put that money towards working capital, expanding their businesses, marketing their products, and creating jobs. Their financial footing gets stronger - permanently. With nearly $100 billion each year in federal contracts going to small businesses, cutting in half the time they get paid is a powerful way to help put America back to work now. QuickPay is a smart and powerful boost that effectively delivers billions more dollars into the hands of small contractors so that they can do what they do best - create jobs."
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Looking for a sample of an EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK?
The SBA has a site page with a Free Sample Template in WORD Format. The link is:
http://www.sba.gov/content/employee-handbooks
Look towards the Bottom of the site page where it says "EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK LINK"
(it is easy to overlook!) |
Total Time Accounting and Uncompensated Overtime -
Are You Giving Away Hours?
The following is an excerpt from an article I came across during one of my research sessions. I usually have a name or website to provide, but I don't on this one, except for the link included within the article. This is for informational purposes only and should be interpreted according to its' applicability.
That being said, I felt this is very interesting reading and worth thinking about, if not for now, then for future reference. Anyone who knows more on this or have an opinion please let me know so I can share with our colleagues. Paul Sr.
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It is necessary to establish a written policy and procedure disclosing time keeping practices to DCAA and to fact-finding teams on proposals, as the company process, for both pricing and accounting for overtime as a whole. In doing so, topics such as compensated and uncompensated time must be addressed.
Include in the policy/process for pricing and job cost accounting those steps required for compensated overtime to personnel who are non-exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (hourly who receive time and one half).
Also include the policy/ process for pricing and job cost accounting, those steps required for uncompensated overtime to personnel who are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (salaried who receive pay at straight time for hours in excess of 40 and those who do not receive pay at all for hours in excess of 40) The former are usually engineers and technicians. The latter are usually management or staff).
I encourage "Total Time Accounting" for all contractors to make all hours worked, and leave, a part of the record and minimize waste, fraud and abuse, or defective pricing allegations.
The below article by Find Law contains an approach to the issue of uncompensated overtime and I encourage firms to at least review the information so you know what options are available, especially the last 4 paragraphs of the article:
Uncompensated Overtime Are You Giving Away Hours?
Much has been written about the various methods available for Government contractors to account for uncompensated overtime. Unfortunately, almost all of the published information concentrates on the accounting mechanics of timekeeping and labor cost allocation issues and fails to address the one question that should really matter to contractors - which method creates reasonable revenue for the work actually performed?
The DCAA Audit Manual (Section 6-410) discusses uncompensated overtime in some detail from the perspective of whether contractors should record all actual hours in their timekeeping systems (i.e., whether contractors should use "total time accounting"). Surprisingly, DCAA never reaches a conclusion on the subject. DCAA effectively seems to condone the submission of signed timesheets that represent less than time actually worked.
"In our view, contractors performing labor-hour, time-and-material, or cost reimbursable contracts should avoid any timekeeping system that fails to accurately report the total time worked. Such a system under-bills clients for work performed and thereby affects a company's bottom line. Moreover, any timekeeping system that by its very design under-reports actual hours worked invites labor mis-charging and false claim allegations.
A total time accounting system that accurately reports hours will generate the proper amount of revenue for contractors on each of their labor-hour and time-and-material contracts. Cost reimbursable contracts have an added twist. Many cost reimbursable contractors who report total time use a diluted hourly rate approach for distributing labor costs to projects. For example, if an employee is paid $1,000 per week and works 40 hours, the projects are charged $25 per hour. If the same employee works 50 hours the following week, the hourly rate is diluted and projects are charged $20 per hour. In this example the contractor gets no additional revenue for the extra 10 hours of effort - they are provided free of charge to the Government.
Fortunately, acceptable standard cost approaches will negate this windfall to the Government and still allow the contractor to take advantage of uncompensated overtime. The most common of these approaches involves charging direct labor to projects at a standard hourly rate established annually for each direct labor employee. Actual hours are charged to projects at this standard rate. (see CAM 6-410.4 c.)
For uncompensated overtime situations, the variance between labor charged to projects and actual compensation is charged/credited to overhead. Such an approach allows contractors to account for their hours in an accurate, straightforward manner, bill for the hours actually worked, and effect a potential competitively beneficial decrease in their overhead rates. DCAA has recognized this as an acceptable method of accounting for labor costs, and we think that it generally beats just giving the Government hours of effort for free."
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Another Top 10: "DOs" & "DON'Ts" In Government Contracting - by Sheppard Mullin (A Legal Point Of View)
Do assure that the Government person with whom you are dealing has actual authority to bind the Government.
Do remember to "get it in writing."
Do recognize that the Government wants your intellectual property -- address that issue before you sign a contract.
Do treat certifications in your contracts with a seriousness of purpose - unless you have a thing for orange jump suits and iron bars.
Do seek "commercial item" status whenever possible - it mitigates significant cost, accounting, and IP risks.
Don't for a moment think that subcontractors are not "Government contractors" - just read the flow downs if you ever think otherwise.
Don't treat your Multiple Award Schedule Contract as just another commercial contract -- the items may be "commercial" but the contract most assuredly is not.
Don't have your "Compliance" and "Contract Administration" functions report through "Sales" - you will be "uncomfortable" explaining that hierarchy in an enforcement proceeding.
Don't take the client to lunch.
Don't ever underestimate the multi-layered power of the Government - or its willingness to use it against you.
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Compensatory Time Policies and How They Can Impact Labor Accounting
for Government Contractors - By Stephanie Widzinski - Watkins/Meegan (emphasis and addendums added by Paul Sr.)
The term "Comp Time" is often overused and can mean different things to different people. When DCAA uses the term comp time, they are referring to the excess hours
Most contractors follow total time accounting but even with total time accounting the contractor can institute a compensatory time policy whereby exempt employees can accumulate excess worked hours and use these hours in the future as additional time off.
Under a comp time policy the employer is allowing exempt employees to bank excess hours worked in a timesheet period so the employee can use those hours in the future. This policy allows for employees who work more than 40 hours in a standard workweek to bank the excess hours.
This banking of hours would only apply to exempt employees since you are required to pay non-exempt employees for all hours worked. The banking of hours method creates a future liability for your company since employees are simply deferring the payment of these hours to a future period when they take leave. The hours recorded in the timesheet period in which the employee is banking hours would be recorded at the employee's full hourly rate (no auto adjusting of hourly rate).
One thing to be aware of when offering a comp time policy is that you could potentially be shifting labor cost from one contract type to another. This shifting of cost can occur depending on the type of contract the employee was working on when they recorded the comp time and then what contract they are working on when they take the comp time.
For this reason it is important to prepare an analysis of how hours/dollars will be recorded and determine if this method would result in material differences with regards to project costing as well as indirect rate allocation.
One way to minimize any shifting of cost from one contract type to another would be to establish a limited time frame in which the employee can carry their comp time. If your time frame to carry the hours is greater than a complete timesheet cycle, then your potential for cost shifting could increase due to the fact that employees work assignments change over time.
When deciding on a comp time policy it is important to consider and think about your objectives in establishing such a policy. You should also consider your contract mix, what affect a comp time policy will have on your rates and what parameters surround the recording of comp time hours. Additional things to consider includes: will there be a limit on the number of hours the employee is able to bank, will there be a minimum and maximum number of hours that can be deferred in timesheet period, what is done with unused hours?
Whether you are establishing new policies or changing existing policies it is important to always refer back to the Federal Acquisition and Department of Labor regulations.
When instituting a comp time policy, it is important to work with your Human Resource Department as well as your Attorney to ensure that your policy is not in conflict with the
Department of Labor.
Also be familiar with the following regulations to help ensure you are compliant and provide some comfort that you are ready for DCAA when they review your policies, such as: FAR 31.201- 4: Cost Allocability and Assignability to Final Cost Objectives, CAS 401: Consistency Between Accounting and Bids and Proposals, CAS 418: Proper Allocation Bases for Direct and Indirect Costs, DCAM 6-410.3.d: Acceptable Methods for Recording Labor. worked by exempt employees and they are interested in how the contractor accounts for these hours. To that end, it is imperative that contractors include in their labor policy how they account for hours worked over the standard 40-hour workweek.
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Inspirational Corner - It's Not Fair! 
I like to put things in perspective when things seem to be going in a manner that I would not prefer. That's a nice way of putting it...smile!
Let me share what I mean: Client cancels an engagement, person I am dealing with is being very difficult or not very nice, nothing seems to be going right, not feeling very well, so many things to do with not enough time, even personal relationships that we all know go through their tough times no matter how matched you think you are.
I sit back, take at least 3 deep, slow breaths, and for a short time I focus only on the blessings of my life. Then I think on the millions who are not as fortunate. I do this to put things in perspective. Grant it, not always easy! If I stop and say to myself, 5,000 children are dying today because they don't even have enough water to drink, and I have water, then things get pushed back into perspective reality!
My issues don't go away, my hurts don't disappear, my hopes/dreams/ambitions don't really change, my bills don't get paid any faster, my body may not heal any faster, and people, well, lets just say that people will be people; But, how I dwell on them and deal with them does!
Can you by worrying change one thing? No We Can't. Concerned, Yes. Worry, No!
If you remember you are Royalty, and we often forget this, that's right, sons and daughters of God, and that therefore you are an heir of God and all He has prepared just for you, you can walk assured you are not alone, although for a season you may be tried and tested.
Have FAITH: You do know that faith isn't faith until it is tested, right? So as your faith is tested, remember the testing is to teach us PATIENCE! Oh Patience, the perfecting quality of the soul.
Did you know that learning patience is one of the most difficult character traits to develop yet one of the most satisfying once learned? Patience will make you Perfect! Don't believe me? see James 1:4 - By the way, perfection in the Bible generally means Maturity (of character and spirituality). It does not mean that you will never, ever make a mistake again!
Anyway, so count it all joy when you are tested, for it means you are valuable enough to be tried and tested. The goal should be to pray earnestly for the power and wisdom to make it through the test! You have a head start because the Saviour stands ready to defend you before all of your accusers. And He never loses a case for anyone who choose Him as their defense.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May His face to shine upon you, and give you peace. The Lord be gracious unto you.
I have so much in my heart that I want to share about hope, grace, obedience, true love, and salvation, yet so little time to do it. I share to you my business colleagues what I am called to share. I urge you to search the scriptures daily, for in them you will find treasures more valuable than silver or gold. But it takes effort. I love the Word, for it allows me to breathe an air of refreshing to my soul that draws me closer to my Saviour.
From God's heart to my heart to yours! Paul Sr
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Cost & Pricing for Government Contractors - Part 1 & Part 2
October 18-19, 2011 (final 2011 Workshop)
Huntsville, Alabama - (8:00 - 4:00)
8:00 AM - Registration, Refreshments, Housekeeping & Introduction
Class Instruction Begins Promptly at 8:30
Lunch and Break Refreshments Provided
Training Center Location:
688 Discovery Dr, Huntsville AL 35806 - In MTA, Inc. Building
[Parking and Entry in Back of Building Driveway]
Register Now - Chose Day 1 (Part 1), Day 2 (Part 2), or Both
Part 1 is strongly recommended prior to Part 2
Bring your favorite handheld calculator
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More Details on Workshop and Content More on Tuition
CPA's Receive 7.0 CPE Credits Per Day
All Attendees Receive a Completion Certificate with equivilent CEU's
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