A BRIEF HISTORY OF VETS REPORTS

Ariella Kuhl|September 24, 2018|Audit & Compliance

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 VETS-4212 reports are due September 30th and with the deadline quickly approaching, it is a great time to evaluate your company’s compliance strategies to ensure that your organization is  keeping up with all federal deadlines.  Just as important, is to understand the history of these reports and the importance of their data.  In this week’s blog post, we will walk you through a brief history of VETS reporting and tips for how your organization can succeed in complying. 

VETS 100-100A reporting was created by the DOL under the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act (VEVRA).  The VEVRA requires government contractors and subcontractors with a contract of $100,000 or more to fill out VETS 100-100A reports. Generally, these reports contained important information regarding veteran employment history. The covered veteran categories for the VETS-100 form included special disabled veterans, Vietnam era veterans, recently separately veterans and other protected veterans. The veteran category for VETS-100A form included disabled veterans, other protected veterans and Armed Forces Service Medal veterans. 

In 2014, the Department of Labor published a final rule that changed the VETS-100A Report and renamed it the VETS-4212 Report, getting rid of the VETS-100 Report all together. The greatest difference between the VETS-4212 and VETS-100A report is that now contractors only have to report general protected veteran employment numbers (as opposed to each specific category listed above in the VETS-100 and VETA-100A forms).

The DOL published this final rule to reduce the amount of time and money contractors would spend filling out the detail-oriented VETS paperwork. Starting in 2015, VEVRA also made another change to the rule that now requires government contractors to submit VETS-4212 forms only if their contract value is over $150,000, as opposed to the previous $100,000. For more information on the logistics of VETS reporting, visit https://www.dol.gov/vets/vets4212.htm. 

The data provided in these VETS reports shares valuable information about your organization.  Therefore, it is important to understand these reports and the filing process: 

HELPFUL INFORMATION:

• When to file: No later than September 30th of each year
• Reporting Period: End of any pay period between July 1st and August 31st of the current year. Report new hires that occurred during the previous twelve-months from the chosen pay period (Note: contractors and subcontractors who were approved to use December 31st as the ending date for EEO-1 filing may also use this date for the VETS 4212 filing – https://www.dol.gov/vets/contractor/main.htm#14)
• This requirement is the same as for EEO-1.  Federal contractors’ and subcontractors’ knowledge of veteran’s status may be obtained in a variety of ways, including the following:
  1. In response to an invitation to self-identify in accordance with 41 CFR part 61-300.2 (b) (2). 2. Voluntary self-disclosures by covered incumbent veterans 3. Actual knowledge of an employee’s veteran status by a contractor or subcontractor
• Who to include in reporting?  All full and part-time employees should be included in the report. The term “employee” shall not include persons who are hired on a casual basis for a specified time, or for the duration of a specified job, or persons temporarily employed in any industry other than construction, such as office workers.  The specific definition of employee, as defined by regulation, can be found at 41 CFR part 61-300.2 (b) (2).
• Where to file:  The Department of Labor offers multiple methods for submitting your VETS-4212 reporting:  Organizations may choose to file electronically and can do so via batch upload.  Detailed instructions on electronic filing can be obtained on the VETS-4212 homepage.
  To file by email:   VETS4212-customersupport@dol.gov
  To file by mail, return completed report to: 

          VETS-4212 Service Center; C/O Department of Labor National       
          Contact Center (DOL-NCC)
          7425 Boston Blvd
          Springfield, VA 2215
 
Finally, we suggest completing your VETS-4212 reports with as much advance as possible to  allot time for revisions.  If your organization is struggling to manage VETS, EEP reports, or other crucial government deadlines,  and/or have any questions  regarding your paperwork, Marroquin Consulting, US will  guide you through each step of the process. We specialize in creating customized calendars and strategic plans to ensure that your organizations is compliant.  Visit www.marroquinconsulting.com to learn more about our complimentary 1 hour compliance assessment or contact us to learn about our services. info@marroquinconsulting.com; 1-833-477-8384.