By Rich Zimmerman Readers of E.G. Segar’s comic strip Popeye may recognize the famous title line of J. Wellington Wimpy, known to readers as Wimpy. A recurring joke in this strip involves Wimpy’s attempts to convince others to buy a meal for him with only a vague promise of payment. Government subcontracts present a not-quite-parallel but well… Read more »
Posts By: centrelaw
Keeping It Simple (Sometimes): Acquisition Thresholds Are Changing (or Not)
By Guest Blogger, Ron Smith On July 2, 2015, the new 5-year adjustments to Federal acquisition-related thresholds were published in the Federal Register. This news attracted all the media attention and publicity sizzle of a half-time basketball score, even within the acquisition community where these thresholds mean huge differences in the speed of the acquisition… Read more »
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedules
By Paul Skalman The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Schedules are a major contractual source that play a major role in a significant growth area of the federal market – health care products/equipment, pharmaceuticals, and services. The VA’s National Acquisition Center (VANAC) manages nine (9) separate FSS Schedules dedicated to this growing market segment. The… Read more »
DOL to Uber (and, ahem, all you other employers using independent contractors), “You’re Doing It Wrong!”
By David Warner With relatively little fanfare, less than a month ago the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued an Administrator’s Interpretation concerning the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “suffer or permit to work” standard in identifying employees misclassified as independent contractors . Some commentators have suggested that the guidance was a manifestation… Read more »
Vacation, Data Mining, and Marketing
By Wayne Simpson Most people would not wake up on their first day of vacation, pack, and head to the airport without a planned destination, reservation, a ticket or any idea where they are going to end up. But this is still how some folks plan to enter and expand in the Federal Marketplace. I… Read more »
Sadly Predictable: Donald Trump and Another VA Audit plus Important New FAR Changes, OPM Passes the Hat, New DOL Guidance and the Truth about the McDonalds Hot Coffee Case
By Barbara Kinosky Donald Trump continued his rampage against his Republican colleagues by calling Lindsey Graham (Rep SC) an idiot and giving out Graham’s cell phone number during an interview. Graham responded by calling Trump a jackass, a word I have never used before in any of my blogs. This is better than the Bachelorette… Read more »
Barbara Kinosky, Finalist for Smart CEO Award
Centre Law & Consulting, LLC, announced that Barbara Kinosky, Esq., President of Centre was a finalist for the Smart CEO, CPA & ESQ Award. Barbara S. Kinosky’s legal specialty is federal government contracting with emphasis in GSA Schedules issues and Service Contract Act. In addition to legal services, Centre also provides training to federal contractors on various labor and… Read more »
Are You Smarter Than Your GSA Contracting Officer?
The General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Contracting Officers have a great deal of responsibilities. They manage thousands of schedules that generated more than $34.8 billion during the 2013 fiscal year. Their job is to ensure the government is getting the best value. It is important that these individuals are receiving adequate training… Read more »
Are Your Pay Practices Compliant with Recent Wage and Hour Law Developments?
By Marina Blickley With an increased focus at federal, state, and local level on “fair” employment practices, compliance continues to be an ongoing process for businesses countrywide. Below is a quick overview of developments that companies should be keeping an eye on: – Paid Sick (and Safe) Leave is now required in many states and… Read more »
The Dyckman Stipend: A Revolutionary Lesson in Ethics and Compliance
By Guest Blogger, Ron Smith Boscobel is a beautiful Federal period manor house on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. The grounds offer a southward view of the river toward Bear Mountain, the Appalachian Trail, and the US Military Academy at West Point. On summer evenings after dinner on the grounds, Shakespeare is performed under… Read more »
