eMars Inc.
Compliance Built Into Every Paycheck

Payroll errors rarely announce themselves in real time. More often, they surface later as penalties, back payments, rejected submissions, or audit findings long after payroll has already been processed. Even with modern payroll platforms in the market, the responsibility for catching these mistakes still falls on the operator.

That challenge becomes far more severe in federally regulated environments shaped by laws such as the Davis-Bacon Act, where a single certified payroll can involve 31 separate compliance conditions, each carrying financial and legal consequences if overlooked.

It is within this high-stakes environment that eMars Inc. built Compliant Client around a different premise: compliance should take place during payroll execution, not after submission. The web-based platform embeds compliance checks directly into the payroll process itself, preventing certification until errors are corrected.

“Most payroll systems still depend on someone catching mistakes after processing is complete,” says Woody Chamberlain, president. “We built Compliant Client around the idea that noncompliant payroll should never reach certification in the first place.”

For contractors managing Davis-Bacon-regulated projects, that fundamentally changes the workflow. The system flags the issue in real time and presents the operator with corrective guidance before submission. Instead of relying on manual review after processing, payroll becomes a controlled compliance process designed to stop costly errors during execution.

Building Compliance into Payroll Execution

The company’s background in contract compliance shaped the system’s development over decades, particularly as certified payroll requirements became increasingly complex across federally funded projects.

Once employee information is entered into the platform, compliance rules requirements automatically apply to every paycheck. The system evaluates payroll data against all applicable conditions, including wage determinations, fringe calculations, tax obligations, and certified reporting requirements.

That structure removes much of the human error traditionally associated with certified payroll processing. While users can manually enter data, duplicate information from previous payroll cycles, or import spreadsheets, payroll cannot move forward until compliance issues are resolved and certification standards are met.

“The system routinely shows an 80 percent savings in time and money compared to manually prepared payroll,” says Chamberlain.

Simplifying a Traditionally Burdensome Process

For many contractors, certified payroll processing has historically required extensive manual review, particularly on projects involving large workforces and multiple reporting obligations. eMars Inc. designed Compliant Client to reduce that burden without requiring specialized technical expertise.

Clients often complete compliant payroll runs in less than five minutes once employee data has been entered into the system. The platform’s interface was built to support both experienced payroll professionals and first-time users, while integrated guidance helps operators resolve issues before delays occur.

The system also supports operational flexibility across different contractor workflows. State-specific outputs and customizable reporting tools like automatic XML reporting formats for agencies including California DIR, Washington State L&I, and multiple AASHTO DOT jurisdictions help organizations address varying requirements while document management capabilities centralize subcontractor records and compliance documentation across projects.

That combination of automation and usability has contributed to broad industry adoption. More than 55,000 clients have used the Compliant Client platform across projects ranging from small contractor operations to large-scale workforce environments involving thousands of employees. The company’s long-standing presence in certified payroll administration has also strengthened its position within the broader compliance software market, earning recognition as the Top Payroll Compliance Software provider.

As labor regulations continue evolving across payroll administration, contractors increasingly require systems capable of enforcing compliance as part of daily execution rather than relying on after-the-fact review. eMars Inc. reflects that shift through its model, making certified payroll more controlled and significantly less burdensome for contractors operating in the highly regulated environments.