Joe Dyer Quoted in ENR

“Federal Contractors Must Have Ethics Program Under Rule”

Joe Dyer was quoted in the article, “Federal Contractors Must Have Ethics Program Under Rule,” published January 3, 2008 in Engineering News-Record (ENR). The article reports on the federal rule that went into effect December 24, 2007 that requires contractors and subcontractors who have contracts over $5 million with the federal government to have a written code of business ethics.

Joe remarks that, “The devil is in the lack of details,” because the requirements do not indicate what is required in the contractors’ ethics programs. Therefore, Joe notes that contractors could find themselves “at the mercy of the government official who is reviewing their particular programs.” He points out, “that could impact their ability” to win federal contracts in the future should a government contracting officer deem that a company has not adequately complied with the requirement. Furthermore, Joe observes that the new rule is more likely to impact small- and medium-sized businesses since many larger employers already have ethics programs in place.