This foundational webinar series is designed to guide HR professionals, procurement officials, and employment counsel through fundamental compliance topics and risks that arise when an organization seeks to become a federal contractor or subcontractor. In this second installment, the speakers will focus on critical compliance risks related to wage and hour, labor, and cost accounting that companies may encounter when bidding on and preparing to perform federal contracts. The discussion will cover key statutory and regulatory frameworks, including the Davis-Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act, and the Cost Accounting Standards. The speakers will explain how these requirements affect contractor pricing, labor classifications, and project execution. Lastly, the webinar will provide practical strategies for risk mitigation and best practices for building compliant bid proposals.

Many U.S. employers hire international students and recent graduates on F-1 visas. After graduation, students may work for 12 months under Optional Practical Training (OPT), with eligible STEM graduates able to extend their work authorization for an additional 24 months. This webinar will discuss the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) proposal for significant new fees: $70,000 for a school’s first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation. The speakers will cover the basics of OPT and STEM OPT and explain how the process currently works. They will also explain the DHS fee proposal (who pays, when, and how it would work), as well as a separate blocked rule on length of stay and how the two could be combined. The webinar will conclude with a discussion of potential legal risks and practical steps to take now.