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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES:
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (See Also Note 11):
Potential Contractual Billing Adjustments
DLH has accrued revenue and costs associated with certain government contracts covered by the Service Contract Act. These adjustments are due to changes in the contracted wage determination rates for certain employees. A wage determination is the listing of wage rates and fringe benefit rates for each classification of laborers which the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") has determined to be prevailing in a given locality. Contractors performing services for the Federal government under certain contracts are required to pay service employees in various classes no less than the wage rates and fringe benefits determined to be prevailing in these localities. An audit by the DOL in fiscal 2008 at one of the facilities revealed that notification, as required by contract, was not provided to DLH Solutions in order to effectuate the wage increases in a timely manner. Wages for employees on assignment at the time have been adjusted prospectively to the prevailing rate and hourly billing rates to the DVA have been increased accordingly. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2008, DLH recognized nonrecurring revenues of $10.8 million and direct costs of $10.1 million, based on amounts that are contractually due under its arrangements with the Federal agencies. At September 30, 2013, the amount of the remaining accounts receivable with the DVA was approximately $9.3 million and the remaining accrued payroll was approximately $8.7 million.
In April 2012, the Company received formal contract modifications from the DVA concerning the retroactive billing matter. The contract modifications from the DVA incorporate relevant wage determinations covering largely 2006 and 2007 applying to the Company's historical contracts with DVA during those periods. These government modifications initiate the procedures whereby the Company may invoice the DVA in accordance with the modified wage determinations and subsequently make timely retroactive payments to employees (active and inactive) covering work performed at the certain locations. The Company expects to follow the same process implemented as directed by and in conjunction with the Department of Labor and the DVA when similar wage determination-related contract modifications were made to cover other sites (also for the periods of 2006 and 2007) in 2008.
During fiscal year 2013, the Company continued to support the Government's review of the detailed supporting calculations for the retroactive billings and to negotiate an incremental final amount related to indirect costs and fees applied to these retroactive billings. As such, there may be additional revenues recognized in future periods once the final approval for such additional amounts is obtained. The additional indirect costs and fees are estimated to be between$0.4 million and $0.6 million. The Company has developed these estimates under the same contractual provisions applied to the sites that were settled in 2008. However, because these amounts remain subject to government review, no assurances can be given that this amount will be received.
Leases
Minimum payments, assuming no expected sublease payments, under non-cancelable operating lease obligations at September 30, 2013 are as follows (amounts in thousands):
Years Ending September 30,
 
2014
$
169

2015
143

2016
86

2017
73

 
$
471

 
 


Rent expense, net of sublease income, under all operating leases in fiscal year ended September 30, 2013, was $184,000. Rent expense, net of sublease income, under all operating leases in fiscal year ended September 30, 2012, was $173,000.
As part of the sale of TeamStaff Rx, Advantage RN had the right to use, through February 28, 2011, the premises located in Clearwater, Florida that was used by TeamStaff Rx for its principal executive offices. In connection with such use, Advantage RN was obligated to make rent subsidy payments to TeamStaff Rx totaling $125,000, consisting of (i) $25,000 payable at the closing and (ii) an additional $100,000 payable in 10 equal monthly installments of $10,000 payable on the first day of each calendar month beginning on March 1, 2010 until December 1, 2010. Advantage RN vacated the premises and ceased making installment payments. The Company is pursuing a claim against Advantage RN for all amounts owed. DLH has an accrued liability in the amount of $150,000 related to its leased premises for TeamStaff RX in Clearwater, Florida.
Prepaid Workers' Compensation
As part of the Company's discontinued PEO operations, DLH had a workers' compensation program with Zurich American Insurance Company ("Zurich") which covered the period from March 22, 2002 through November 16, 2003, inclusive. Payments for the policy were made to a trust monthly based on projected claims for the policy period. Interest on all assets held in the trust is credited to DLH. Payments for claims and claims expenses are made from the trust. From time-to-time, trust assets have been refunded to the Company based on Zurich's and managers' overall assessment of claims experience and historical and projected settlements. The final amount of trust funds that could be refunded to the Company is subject to a number of uncertainties (e.g. claim settlements and experience, health care costs, the extended statutory filing periods for such claims); however, based on a third party's study of claims experience, DLH estimates that at September 30, 2013, the remaining prepaid asset of $0.4 million will be received within the next twelve months. This amount is reflected on DLH's balance sheet as of September 30, 2013 as a current asset.
Workers' Compensation Insurance
From November 17, 2003 through April 14, 2009, inclusive, DLH's workers' compensation insurance program was provided by Zurich. This program covered DLH's temporary, contract and corporate employees. This program was a fully insured, guaranteed cost program that contained no deductible or retention feature. The premium for the program was paid monthly based upon actual payroll and was subject to a policy year-end audit. Effective April 15, 2009, DLH entered into a partially self-funded workers' compensation insurance program with a national insurance carrier for the premium year April 15, 2009 through April 14, 2010 has been renewed through April 14, 2014. The Company pays a base premium plus actual losses incurred, not to exceed certain stop-loss limits. The Company is insured for losses above these limits, both per occurrence and in the aggregate.
As of September 30, 2013 and 2012, the adequacy of the workers' compensation reserves (including those periods' amounts that are offset against the trust fund balances in prepaid assets) was determined, in management's opinion, to be reasonable. In determining our reserves, we rely in part upon information regarding loss data received from our workers' compensation insurance carriers that may include loss data for claims incurred during prior policy periods. In addition, these reserves are for claims that have not been sufficiently developed and such variables as timing of payments and investment returns thereon are uncertain or unknown; therefore, actual results may vary from current estimates. DLH will continue to monitor the development of these reserves, the actual payments made against the claims incurred, the timing of these payments, the interest accumulated in DLH's prepayments and adjust the related reserves as deemed appropriate.
Payroll Taxes
DLH has received notices from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") claiming taxes, interest and penalties due related to payroll taxes predominantly from its former PEO operations which were sold in fiscal 2003. DLH has also received notices from the IRS reporting overpayments of taxes. Management believes that these notices are predominantly the result of misapplication of payroll tax payments between its legal entities. If not resolved favorably, the Company may incur interest and penalties. Until the sale of certain assets related to the former PEO operations, DLH operated through 17 subsidiaries, and management believes that the IRS has not correctly identified payments made through certain of the different entities, therefore leading to the notices. To date, DLH has worked with the IRS to resolve these discrepancies and has had certain interest and penalty claims abated. DLH has also received notices from the Social Security Administration claiming variances in wage reporting compared to IRS transcripts. DLH believes the notices from the Social Security Administration are directly related to the IRS notices received. DLH believes that after the IRS applies all the funds correctly, any significant interest and penalties will be abated; however, there can be no assurance that each of these matters will be resolved favorably. In settling various years for specific subsidiaries with the IRS, the Company has received refunds for those specific periods; however, as the process of settling and concluding on other periods and subsidiaries is not yet completed, the potential exists for related penalties and interest. The remaining liability ($1.4 million at September 30, 2013) has been recorded in accounts payable and includes estimated accrued penalties and interest totaling approximately $0.6 million.
The Company believes it has accrued for the entire estimated remaining liability, inclusive of interest and penalties through the date of the financial statements. The Company may incur additional interest and may incur possible additional penalties through the future date that this obligation is settled, however, it is not currently possible to estimate what, if any, additional amount(s) may be claimed in the future, given the uncertain timing and nature of any future settlement negotiations. No payments were made in fiscal 2013 or fiscal 2012. Management believes that the ultimate resolution of these remaining payroll tax matters will not have a significant adverse effect on its financial position or future results of operations. The Company's intention is that it will in due course seek to negotiate a mutually satisfactory payment plan with the IRS, but there is no assurance that it would be successful in doing so and the Company's future cash flows and liquidity could therefore be materially affected by this matter.
Legal Proceedings
As the Company has previously reported, it was advised of a claim by the U.S. Attorney based on an alleged failure to pay certain classes of employees the prevailing wages as required by the Service Contract Act during the years 2003-2010. The Company is continuing to review the data allegedly supporting the claims with the U.S. Department of Justice in an effort to determine whether any wage adjustment is required. These claims appear, in part, to be part of the claims previously disclosed by the Company and related to services provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs by DLH. See "Risk Factors" in Part I and "Potential Contractual Billing Adjustments" in the Management Discussion and Analysis. Until the analysis of the data is complete, we cannot finally determine either the merits of the claim or the potential impact on the Company; however, the Company continues to believe it has acted in conformity with its contractual commitments and no wage adjustment is required. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that an adverse decision or settlement would not have a material adverse impact on the Company.
As a commercial enterprise and employer, we are subject to various claims and legal actions in the ordinary course of business. These matters can include professional liability, employment-relations issues, workers' compensation, tax, payroll and employee-related matters and inquiries and investigations by governmental agencies regarding our employment practices or other matters. We are not aware of any pending or threatened litigation that we believe is reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows.
Employment Agreements
From time-to-time, we enter into employment agreements with certain key executives which provide for fixed compensation, criterion for earning bonuses and other incentives and, in certain instances, issuance of share based equity grants. These agreements generally continue until terminated by the employee or the Board of Directors or, upon the occurrence of defined certain events or circumstances (including a defined change in control), and provide for salary continuance for specified periods of generally no more than a year or lump sum payments in the event of a change of control of up to 150% of annual salary.
During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012, the Company terminated certain executives, management and staff personnel, and as a result, incurred severance related expenses of approximately $0.3 million in staff personnel severance (included in general and administrative expense) At September 30, 2013, there was no remaining severance liability.
Government Assignment of Contracts
Availability of funds under the Presidential Financial line of credit is directly related to the successful assignment of certain accounts receivable. Certain government accounts of DLH Solutions are required to execute "Acknowledgments of Assignment." There can be no assurance that every DLH Solutions government account will execute the documentation to effectuate the assignment and secure availability. The failure of government third parties to sign the required documentation could result in a decrease in availability under the existing line of credit.