Are you a Federal Contractor who is in the process of or considering making a change to an automated Applicant Tracking System (ATS) from a manual or “home grown” solution? And do you feel that in order to be compliant you have to force candidates through a lengthy and cumbersome application process where you have a large decline in candidates who are willing to complete your application?

By Amy Stark, Practice Director of Talent Acquisition and Connie Maniscalco, Practice Leader

You may have heard that the OFCCP is getting ready to send a wave of Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letters(CSAL) to contractors that have been selected for an upcoming compliance review. And the news may be making you very nervous. I remember the first time I received a CSAL and I got so nervous at the thought of an audit. But when I realized that we were doing the right things and were prepared to respond, it really wasn't so bad.

As a Practice Leader here at Helios I have an opportunity to work with many government contractors grappling with the record-keeping requirements of maintaining their Affirmative Action Plans. Commonly referred to as an AAP, it's a program that outlines the equal employment opportunities and advancement, specifically for businesses with federal contracts or funding. As a government contractor, whether you are a prime or a subcontractor, your company must demonstrate the application of good faith efforts to increase the pool of qualified minority, female, veteran and disabled candidates when recruiting for open positions. The AAP plan is subject to scrutiny by the Office of Federal Contracting Compliance Programs (OFCCP) if your organization is selected for a compliance audit.

At Helios, we have had a number of clients implement Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) policies. This approach to leave is a growing trend for innovative companies working in all industries. Numerous companies are utilizing unlimited PTO to encourage a culture of freedom and responsibility.

Remember when a snow day meant no school and neighborhood snowball fights? The challenges of navigating winter weather closures can be far more difficult when you’re running a company. What if your company closes for a week between Christmas and New Year’s; are you required to pay employees? The following guidelines should help you determine your legal obligations for these common winter payroll issues.