It is an ultimate ethical dilemma: to blow the whistle or to stay quiet? Recent statistics show that the number of government whistleblowing claims is increasing, and with media attention focused on high profile whistleblowing cases, it is more important now than ever to ensure that your company is compliant and maintains ethical business practices.

On July 9th, 2013 the General Services Administration (GSA) launched a new website platform for government-managed reverse auctions, reverseauctions.gsa.gov. This program, available through the National Information Technology Commodity Program (NITCP) of GSA’s Federal Acquisition service (FAS) marks the beginning of a change in the way businesses will compete for government contracts.

Recently, a contractor lost a bid due to poor past performance history that was not included in their proposal. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) heard their case and determined that it was acceptable to use past performance history not included in the contractor’s proposal. The GAO also stated that the contractor should have explained the poor past performance evaluation. This past performance review was registered with the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), a website that government agencies use to access contractor past performance data. Not many contractors are familiar with this site and not all government agencies are using it yet, as it is relatively new.

In good times, trimming operational costs is an ongoing goal. In tough times, it’s a necessity. Regardless, recruiting occurs at all times, good and bad. Growth increases personnel numbers in good times, and opportunistic or replacement hiring occurs when budgets tighten. By using creative recruiting strategies in synergy with the latest technology developments, you can reduce recruiting costs while achieving exceptional results.

Duke Energy is the nation’s largest electric power holding company with 7 million electric customers and 500,000 gas customers. The company is headquartered in North Carolina and employs about 30,000 employees and has approximately $14.5 in annual revenues.

In an ongoing case of 8(a) fraud, the Eastern District Court recently sentenced two key federal contractor executives, Joseph Richards, 52, and David Lux, 66. The two executives pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring over $31 million in contracts through abuse of the 8(a) program instituted by the Small Business Association (SBA) and conspiracy to commit government fraud. This program provides the opportunity for socially disadvantaged and minority businesses to grow their business through federal contract preferences.