Manage HR Magazine: Specials Magazine

The shift from manual, error-prone processes to automation is now essential for employers managing prevailing wage, certified payroll, and union labor obligations. HCM TradeSeal, a purpose-built compliance technology company, is changing how organizations meet these demands. By helping businesses streamline prevailing wage and union payroll obligations through automation, integration, and intelligent workflows, the company enables employers to comply with federal and state prevailing wage laws and scale more confidently in competitive labor markets. HCM TradeSeal was founded to simplify prevailing wage compliance for companies working on public projects across complex legal jurisdictions. From large national contractors to specialized utilities and service providers, its platform, TradeSeal, has earned recognition for helping reduce compliance errors, simplify reporting, and future-proof internal payroll operations. One such client—a 5,000-employee enterprise operating across multiple states, unions, and systems like Viewpoint Vista—successfully leveraged the platform to unify its compliance processes and reduce risk at scale. While many tools treat compliance as secondary, TradeSeal is purpose-built for prevailing wage and union workforce management complexities. Companies in these sectors often face a patchwork of regulations—from state-specific wage determinations to local union agreements and fringe benefit reporting standards. Managing these manually or through generic HR and payroll tools increases noncompliance risk, slows down internal processes, and puts undue strain on administrative teams. TradeSeal addresses this by integrating directly with existing ERP and payroll platforms, ensuring seamless data exchange through robust APIs. It offers advanced compliance tools, like a rate validation screen that verifies wages based on job classification, location, and project terms before payroll processing. The platform also auto-validates timecards, worker classifications, and fringe benefit rates, helping resolve discrepancies early. The solution's support for nuanced scenarios like multi-role assignments, city-specific union terms, and intricate wage tables makes it especially powerful. TradeSeal’s flexible compliance logic ensures these cases are handled accurately and consistently. It even includes an AI-powered wage setup feature that automatically interprets and digitizes new union agreements, translating complex contract language into system-ready rules..read more

When an employee is selected for a random breath alcohol test or urine drug screen, most employers require them to travel to a designated clinic or testing facility to complete the procedure. Take John, for example. With a packed schedule, the last thing he expected was to lose half his workday to a routine drug screening. Driving across town, waiting in a crowded clinic and falling behind on work left him frustrated. Midlands Testing, a 24/7 on-site drug and alcohol testing provider, is leading the charge in revamping the existing tedious process. As a trusted service provider, the company offers a combination of product and services aimed at eliminating the need for off-site screenings. “Our drug testing services maximizes productivity while minimizing liability. We uphold test integrity by eliminating delays and reducing the risk of tampering,” says Lorelee Byrd, CEO. The company has an extensive network of over 600 DOT-certified collectors is strategically positioned across 49 states to ensure rapid and efficient drug and alcohol testing. These professionals are trained to handle testing in compliance with strict federal regulations. They are further supported by a 24/7 expert helpline, where compliance specialists are available in real time to resolve issues that arise during testing. The company’s proprietary platform, Dottie is an integral part of its holistic approach to streamlining drug tests. It offers an intelligent scheduling system designed to address the logistical difficulties of coordinating tests across different locations and time zones. Employers can set up tests through an automated system and the built-in reminder notification feature reduces the risk of missed tests, helping companies meet strict regulatory requirements. A notable example involves a large railroad company that implemented Midlands Testing Services’ ‘Click to Schedule’ feature to streamline drug and alcohol test scheduling. Previously, managers scheduled tests manually via phone, leading to time consumption and errors like misheard addresses. The system eliminated location errors by allowing managers to select pre-approved test sites with a single click. After automating scheduling, the company also saved at least $250,000 in labor costs..read more