The annual VETS-4212 filing period is underway and required reports must be submitted by September 30.
For federal contractors and subcontractors, September brings another important HR compliance deadline. The annual VETS-4212 filing period is underway, and required reports must be submitted by September 30.
The VETS-4212 Report is required under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and provides the U.S. Department of Labor with information about the employment of protected veterans by covered federal contractors and subcontractors. The 2026 filing period opened August 1 and closes September 30. DOL does not accept requests for filing extensions.
The requirement generally applies to covered federal contractors and subcontractors that have a qualifying federal contract or subcontract and are subject to VEVRAA.
The Department of Labor currently identifies $200,000 as the applicable contract threshold. Employers should not assume that the filing requirement is based on company size or number of employees. A company may have a filing obligation because of its federal contracting activity even if it has a relatively small workforce.
If you are uncertain whether a particular federal contract or subcontract creates a VETS-4212 filing obligation, DOL recommends contacting the federal contracting officer or other authority responsible for the contract.
The VETS-4212 is essentially a workforce report. Employers report information about their total workforce and protected veterans using specified job categories.
The report includes employee information by EEO job category, such as officials and managers, professionals, technicians, sales workers, administrative support workers, craft workers, operatives, laborers and helpers, and service workers. Employers also report information concerning new hires during the applicable 12-month period.
Protected veteran information reported for VETS-4212 purposes includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active-duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans.
Importantly, having no protected veterans does not necessarily mean that an otherwise covered employer has no filing obligation. The reporting obligation is based on the employer’s covered federal contracting status, not on whether the employer currently employs protected veterans.
Although VETS-4212 is an HR compliance requirement, preparing the report may require information from several systems.
HR may maintain employees’ job classifications and voluntary veteran self-identification information, while payroll or the HRIS may contain the employee population, hire dates, termination dates, and other workforce information needed to prepare the report.
Before filing, HR and payroll should make sure they are working from the same employee population and that job classifications and employment information are current.
The employer must select a payroll period ending between July 1 and August 31 of the current year to establish the workforce snapshot used for the report. The new-hire portion of the report covers a 12-month period ending on that selected date.
The actual filing may not be the most difficult part of VETS-4212 reporting. Before submitting the report, review your records for issues such as employees assigned to incorrect or outdated EEO job categories, inconsistent employee counts between HR and payroll systems, incomplete hiring information, and problems with protected veteran self-identification records.
Employers should report veteran information based on the information employees have voluntarily provided. The approach should not be to make assumptions about an employee’s veteran status simply to complete the report.
The filing deadline is September 30, but HR departments that have not started should begin gathering and reviewing their information now.
The Department of Labor recommends electronic filing through its VETS-4212 Reporting Application. Employers with more than 10 hiring locations are encouraged to consider the batch filing process. Paper reports may also be submitted by email or mail.
Once the filing is complete, don’t immediately move on to the next HR project. DOL requires employers to retain completed VETS-4212 reports for three years.
Before September 30, HR should confirm that the organization is required to file, select the appropriate payroll period, reconcile HR and payroll employee counts, review EEO job categories, review available protected veteran information, verify new-hire data, complete and review the report, submit it by the deadline, and retain a copy of the completed filing.
A link to the Department of Labor Filing website with frequently asked questions can be accessed by clicking here.
Benefit Allocation Systems (BAS) provides online solutions for: Employee Benefits Enrollment; COBRA; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs); Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs); Leave of Absence Premium Billing (LOA); Affordable Care Act Record Keeping, Compliance & IRS Reporting (ACA); Group Insurance Premium Billing; Property & Casualty Premium Billing; and Payroll Integration.
MyEnroll360 integrates with major insurance carriers for enrollment eligibility management (e.g., Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, United Health Care, Kaiser, CIGNA and others), and with leading payroll platforms for enrollment deduction management (e.g., Workday, ADP, Paylocity, PayCor, UKG, and others).
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal, tax, or benefits advice. Readers should not rely on this information for taking (or not taking) any action relating to employment, compliance, or benefits. Always consult with a qualified professional before making decisions based on this content.
As summer winds down and seasonal employees return to school, employers that hired workers under age 18 have an opportunity to look back at their summer employment practices and prepare for next year.
A rehire should trigger more than simply changing an employee's status back to "active."
Employers that maintain organized records, consistent procedures, and accurate data are better positioned to respond efficiently to audit requests.
