Posted on 06/30/2002 6:46:00 PM PDT by chance33_98
Home Depot Changes Mind, Will Sell To Uncle Sam Company Reminded Stores Earlier Not To Sell To Feds Posted: 2:43 p.m. EDT June 30, 2002
ATLANTA -- Home Depot has reversed its stance on doing business with the U.S. government, just a few weeks after reminding its stores not to sell to federal agencies.
The nation's second-largest retailer behind Wal-Mart had cited the immense number of rules and paperwork covering federal contractors when it reiterated its no-government sales policy to store managers.
But the company decided Friday to reverse course after hearing from its associates and customers and looking more closely at the requirements for being a federal contractor.
A company with more than 50 employees and annual government sales of more than $50,000 is subject to affirmative-action reporting rules. Those require the company to file hiring records and other data -- a task that can lead to a mountain of expensive paperwork and legal fees.
It's unclear how much Home Depot earned from government sales last year, but spokesman Jerry Shields says it was "not a significant amount of money."
A company with more than 50 employees and annual government sales of more than $50,000 is subject to affirmative-action reporting rules. Those require the company to file hiring records and other data -- a task that can lead to a mountain of expensive paperwork and legal fees.
I think Home Depot is making a mistake.
As a mater of principle I think they should have stuck to their guns. The amount of paper work and the expense of complying with government regulations has gotten way out of line.
It’s long past time to do an audit of the efficacy of government’s regulation of business.
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