About the e98 Form

The Service Contract Act as amended requires the Secretary of Labor to issue wage determinations applicable to employees engaged in the performance of service contracts in excess of $2,500. The electronic version of the Notice of Intention to Make a Service Contract and Response to Notice (Standard Form 98), referred to as the e98, provides agencies with the means to request a wage determination from the Department of Labor. In many cases, the requested wage category can be referenced and the system displays an answer immediately. In cases where an answer must be researched, the Department of Labor will provide you with an answer via email within three to five business days.

Getting Additional Help with Your e98 Request

If you need technical assistance or are experiencing difficulties with this form, please contact the Wage and Hour Division Wage Determination System Technical Support Team at (202) 515-2666 or email WHD-WDS-TechnicalSupport@dol.gov. To check the status of your e98 request(s), please contact the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Branch of Service Contract Wage Determinations at (202) 693-0073 or email WHD-WDS-PolicySupport@dol.gov. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 AM until 5 PM EST.

You may also mail your e98 related correspondence to the following address:

 

U.S. Department of Labor

Wage and Hour Division

Branch of Service Contract Wage Determinations

200 Constitution Ave., NW

Room S3028

Washington, DC 20210

Please be sure to include the assigned Notice Number in any correspondence.

Helpful Tips on Using the e98

* The e98 is only available through the Department of Labor website at http://www.dol.gov/whd/govcontracts/sca/sf98/index.asp.

* Upon accessing the e98 area, you may review the Department of Labor Privacy and Security Notice by clicking on the Privacy and Security Notice link. This area provides information on the type of information that the Department of Labor collects from all website visitors.

 You must click on the CONTINUE button in the STANDARD FORM 98 Welcome page to view the e98 form and begin completing your request for a wage determination. The instructions below guide you through how to complete all of the required information within the e98 form.

 You may clear the data you have entered in the form prior to submission by clicking on the CLEAR FORM button located at the bottom of the e98 form window. When you select this button, all of the data you entered is removed and is not retrievable.

*      Please note that the Notice No. included in the top right corner of the e98 form is assigned by the Department of Labor after the e98 request is submitted. Please refer to this number when contacting the Department of Labor about your notice.

*      NOTE: The printed copy of your e98 form with the Notice Number in the top right corner is a certified copy. You will not be sent another. Please print and retain this copy for your records.

* If you wish to request a wage determination in connection with a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the following steps must be completed:

*      Submit the e98 form with the Union Name(s) entered in item 8c.

*      You will receive an email from a Wage and Hour Division (WHD) analyst with a request to provide a copy of the signed Collective Bargaining Agreement.

You must reply directly to this email with an electronic copy in pdf format of the CBA or mail a paper copy of the CBA.

*      When mailing a paper copy of the CBA, please include the e98 number that was assigned to your request.

*      NOTE: Please do not paste the CBA text into the Comments field of the e98 form.

* If you wish to request a wage determination (WD) with contract performance located in different states, the following guidance applies:

*      If the contract is nationwide, you must submit several e98 requests listing no more than ten (10) entire states in every request as well as adding an explanation in the Comments field that the request is nationwide. For further directions regarding nationwide requests, please contact the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Branch of Service Contract Wage Determinations at (202) 693-0073 or email WHD-WDS-PolicySupport@dol.gov.

*      If the contract is performed in various counties of the states, you should enter the exact counties – not the entire states.

*      You may not enter more then ten (10) entire states per request.

* A complete list of all occupations (Standard, Non Standard, or both) for the contract must be included in the e98 request. At least one Occupation (either Standard or Non Standard), the associated Number of Employees and the estimated Hourly Rate must be entered before submitting the e98 to the Department of Labor. The maximum number of occupations of each type that can be entered on one form is 99.

*      Occupations listed in the online Published SCA Directory of Occupations are considered Standard. A drop–down list of accepted titles of Standard occupations is presented on the e98 form for multiple selections. For further information on Published SCA Directory of Occupations, please refer to:

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/wage/SCADirV5/SCADirectVers5.pdf for occupation descriptions.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/wage/SCADirV5/Vers5SCAIndex.pdf for the Index.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/wage/SCADirV5/Vers5ContentsTable.pdf for the Contents.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/wage/SCADirV5/Crosswalk4thEdition2withchanges.pdf for the crosswalk between the 4th and 5th editions of the Directory.

*      All occupations pertaining to the contract but not included in the Published SCA Directory of Occupations are Non Standard Occupations. You must provide the occupational title and job description for such occupations.

*      When entering Hourly wage rates and the Number of employees in items 13a/13b and 14a/14b: the estimated number of employees to be hired for a position must be referenced in item 13a/13b. The number of employees for the position influences the decision on the issuance of the separate wage determination for the contract – particularly if it is more, equal, or less than 5. Item 14a/14b refers to the federal equivalent rate for the position or the contracting official’s estimate for the rate to be paid to employee. The value must be entered for all contracts in order for the analyst to determine the minimum value to report in the wage determination.

Instructions on How to Request a Wage Determination Using the e98

To complete the e98:

1.                  Select a Procurement Type by clicking on the  button in the Procurement Type field. You may select Invitation for Bid, Request for Proposal, Sole Source, Option Extension or Other. This is a required field. If you selected Sole Source as a Procurement Type, you must then enter the name of the company with which there is an agreement in the accompanying field. This field is entitled: Name of Organization Agreement is With.

2.                  Select the  icon in the 2. Estimated Solicitation Date area to enter the estimated date on which solicitation will be made using the calendar tool. You may also enter the date directly in the mm/dd/yyyy field, however the date must be written in mm/dd/yyyy format i.e., two digit month (02), two digit day (04) and four digit year (2003) with forward slashes used as separators.

* NOTE: Estimated Solicitation Date is a required field for the Procurement Types: Request for Proposal or Other.

3.                  Select the  icon in the 3. Estimated Date Bids or Proposals to be Opened or Negotiations Begun area to enter the estimated date on which bids or proposals will be opened or negotiations will begin using the calendar tool. You may also enter the date directly in the mm/dd/yyyy field, however the date must be written in mm/dd/yyyy format i.e., two digit month (02), two digit day (04) and four digit year (2003) with forward slashes used as separators.

* NOTE: Estimated Date Bids or Proposals to be Opened or Negotiations Begun is a required field for the procurement types: Invitation for Bid, Request for Proposal or Other.

4.                  Select the  icon in the 4. Date Contract Performance to Begin area to enter the estimated date on which the contract is to begin using the calendar tool. You may also enter the date directly in the mm/dd/yyyy field, however the date must be written in mm/dd/yyyy format i.e., two digit month (02), two digit day (04) and four digit year (2003) with forward slashes used as separators.

* NOTE 1: Date Contract Performance to Begin is a required field for the procurement types: Request for Proposal, Sole Source, Option Extension or Other.

 NOTE 2: Once e98s are submitted, they cannot be changed. However, in some instances the Contract Performance date is delayed. If this occurs, you may either resubmit the form or submit a revised date by calling the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Branch of Service Contract Wage Determinations at (202) 693-0073 or emailing WHD-WDS-PolicySupport@dol.gov. (This is the only data on the form that may be updated after submission.)

5.                  Click on the  button under the 5. Places of Performance State area to select the state in which the work will be performed. The selection of a state abbreviation automatically populates the Counties area.

6.                  Click on the  button under Counties and select a county in which the work will be performed. Then, click on the ADD button to denote the county as selected and display it in the Counties Selected area. You may add as many counties as applicable. You must select at least one county.

* NOTE: Please refer to Helpful Tips on Using the e98 for the restrictions on the number of entire states to be entered into the form.

7.                  Click on the  button under the 6. Services to be Performed area to identify the type of services that will be performed. You may select Other, Food and Lodging, Halfway House, Moving and Storage, Forestry, Mail Hauling, Nursing Home, or Demolition. The services displayed have a unique wage determination that is specific to those services. The selection of Other provides a consolidated wage determination response that covers multiple services.

8.                  Enter a description of the services in the adjacent Description of Services to be Performed field. Completion of this field is required when Other or Food and Lodging is selected in the 6. Services to be Performed field.

9.                  Select the appropriate radio button in the 7. Information about Performance area. You may select Services now performed by contractors, Services now performed by Federal employees, or Services not presently being performed. You may only select one radio button.

When you select Services now performed by contractors, you must complete alphabetic steps A through I below. If you select Services now performed by Federal employees, or Services not presently being performed, please proceed to step 10. The e98 form will be regenerated to disregard questions in section 8; however, all of your previously entered information is retained.

A.     Enter the appropriate number in field 8a. Name and Address of Incumbent Contractor – Number of Contractors.

B.     Click outside of the Number of Contractors field.

The window is regenerated to include address information fields for the number of contractors you specified.

C.     Complete the Name, Address, City, State and Zip fields for each contractor. You may click on the ADD ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR button to add additional contractors and related address fields. (Each time you select the ADD ADDITIONAL CONTRACTOR button, one additional contractor area is added.)

 NOTE: To delete a contractor, a) click on the  button next to the Contractor numbering area (beside the DELETE button), b) select the number assigned to the contractor (i.e., #1, #2, etc.) that you wish to delete from your e98, and c) click on the DELETE button.

D.     If you know the numbers of the wage determinations in the incumbents’ contract, enter the appropriate number in field 8b. Years and Sequence Numbers of any wage determinations in incumbents’ contracts – Number of Wage Determinations.

E.      Click outside of the Number of Wage Determinations field.

The window is regenerated to include Year and Sequence Number fields for the number of wage determinations you specified.

F.      Complete the Year and Sequence Number fields for each wage determination. The year and the sequence number must be numeric and are limited to four digits. The wage determination number is displayed on the first page of the wage determination. For example for wage determination No: 2005-2007 Revision No: 5 Year Number is 2005 and Sequence Number is 2007.  You may click on the ADD WAGE DETERMINATION button to add additional wage determination fields. (Each time you select the ADD WAGE DETERMINATION button, one additional Year and Sequence Number area is added.)
 NOTE 1: To delete a wage determination, a) click on the  button next to the Determination numbering area (next to the DELETE button), b) select the number assigned to the determination (i.e., #1, #2, etc.) that you wish to delete from your e98, and c) click on the  DELETE button.


 NOTE 2: If you do not know the numbers of the wage determinations in the incumbents’ contract, please skip Item 8b of the form (Year and Sequence Number of any wage determinations in incumbent’s contracts). Click the Proceed to Confirmation Page button and then click OK on the Warning dialog box that appears to submit your form.

G.     If you wish to request a wage determination in connection with a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), enter the appropriate number in field 8c. Name of Union if services are being performed under collective bargaining agreements – Number of Unions.

H.     Click outside of the Number of Unions field.

The window is regenerated to include Union fields for the number of unions you specified.

I.       Complete the Union field for each wage determination. You may click on the ADD ADDITIONAL UNION to add additional union fields. (Each time you select the ADD ADDITIONAL UNION button, a new Union area is added.)

 NOTE: To delete a union, a) click on the  button next to the Union numbering area (next to the DELETE button), b) select the number assigned to the union (i.e., #1, #2, etc.) that you wish to delete from your e98, and c) click on the DELETE button.

10.              Complete the fields in the 9. Official Submitting Notice area to indicate your name and contact information. Fields include First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone, Ext, and Fax. The date on which the e98 is completed is automatically inserted. The phone number and fax number must be entered in the following format: 999-999-9999. Your email address is necessary for the system to send the receipt email, and for the Wage and Hour SCA analyst to expedite a response. Phone or fax numbers can also be used by Wage and Hour SCA analysts to get in touch with you to clarify particular points or request additional information regarding your notice.

* NOTE 1: Entering another person’s name and email address into the item 9. Official Submitting Notice may complicate the tracking process.

* NOTE 2: Please make sure that you typed in your Email address correctly. If there is a spelling mistake in the Email address, this information will not be corrected further in the process. The e98 request needs to be resubmitted in this case.

11.              Click on the  button in the 10. Department, Agency, Bureau, or Division area to select one of the options available. The Department of Labor uses the Department or Agency Name to identify the Federal agency for mailing purposes.

If the name of your agency is not provided in the list of available options, please select Other. (This option is available at the bottom of the selection list.)

12.              Complete all of the fields in the 11. Name and address of contact person area to indicate the point of contact information for the selection you made in the 10. Department, Agency, Bureau, or Division area. These fields include Name, Address, City, State, and Zip. If you selected Other in the 10. Department, Agency, Bureau, or Division area, then enter the name of your agency in the Name field.

13.              Enter the appropriate number in the Standard Occupations field.

* NOTE: Please read the important information regarding Occupations in the Helpful Tips on Using the e98.

14.              Click outside of the Standard Occupations field.

The window is regenerated to include the following fields for the number of occupations you specified: 12a. Occupations, 13a. Number of employees, and 14a. Hourly wage.

15.              For each occupation, a) click on the  button under 12a. Occupations to select the appropriate occupation title from the drop-down list, b) enter the number of employees for each occupation in the related 13a. Number of employees field, and c) enter the hourly wage for each occupation in the 14a. Hourly wage field.  You may click on the ADD STANDARD OCCUPATION button to add additional occupations and related fields. (Each time you select the ADD STANDARD OCCUPATION button, one occupation area is added.)

 NOTE 1: Please read the important information regarding Number of employees and Hourly wage fields in the Helpful Tips on Using the e98.

 NOTE 2: To delete an occupation, a) click on the  button next to the Occupation numbering area (next to the DELETE button), b) select the number assigned to the occupation (i.e., #1, #2, etc.) that you wish to delete from your e98, and c) click on the DELETE button.

16.              Enter the appropriate number in the Non Standard Occupations field.

* NOTE: Please read the important information regarding Occupations in the Helpful Tips on Using the e98.

17.              Click outside of the Non Standard Occupations field.

The window is regenerated to include the following fields for the number of non standard occupations you specified: 12b. Position, 13b. Number of employees, 14b. Hourly wage, and Description.  

18.              For each occupation, a) enter the name of the Non Standard occupation in the 12b. Position field, b) enter a brief description of the Non Standard occupation in the Description field, c) enter the number of employees for each occupation in the related 13b. Number of employees field, and d) enter the hourly wage for each occupation in the 14b. Hourly wage field.  If there are more than ten Non Standard occupations, please enter the descriptions in the 15. Comments area. The following fields are required: 12b. Position: Description, 13b. Number of employees and 14b. Hourly wage.

You may click on the ADD NON-STANDARD OCCUPATION button to add additional non standard occupations and related fields. (Each time you select the ADD NON-STANDARD OCCUPATION button, one additional non standard occupation area is added.) 

 NOTE 1: Please read the important information regarding Number of employees and Hourly wage fields in the Helpful Tips on Using the e98.

 NOTE 2: To delete a Non Standard occupation, a) click on the  button next to the Occupation numbering area (next to the DELETE button), b) select the number assigned to the occupation (i.e., #1, #2, etc.) that you wish to delete from your e98, and c) click on the DELETE button.

19.              Enter any additional comments in the 15. Comments field.

20.              Click on the PRINT button to print a copy of the e98. It is strongly recommended that you print a copy of the information you are submitting for your personal records.

21.              Click on the PROCEED TO CONFIRMATION PAGE button to begin the process of submitting your e98 to the Department of Labor. If you have left any required fields incomplete, you will be prompted to complete these fields prior to submitting your wage determination request. Click on the PROCEED TO CONFIRMATION PAGE button again once you have completed all of the required fields.

 NOTE: If you skipped Item 8b of the form (Year and Sequence Number of any wage determinations in incumbent’s contracts), you will prompted that no wage determinations are listed. Click OK on the Microsoft Internet Explorer dialog box that appears to submit your form.

You are directed to the e98 Confirmation Page. This page enables you to review all of the information you have entered.  You may select the GO BACK TO MAKE CHANGES button at the bottom of the window if you wish to make changes to your information. You may also print the information by clicking on the PRINT button.

22.              If you are satisfied with the information, click on the SUBMIT SF98 button. The SUBMIT SF98 and GO BACK TO MAKE CHANGES buttons are disabled after you submit the e98 until processing is complete.

Receiving an e98 Response from the Department of Labor

When you submit an e98 to the Department of Labor, you will either receive an immediate answer through the display of a wage determination or a notification will be displayed indicating that an answer will be sent to you within three to five business days. When the response from the Department of Labor is displayed, the Notice No. is automatically completed. Regarding the various outcomes of the e98 submission:

A.  If the webpage displays the message: Your e98 form is being submitted. Please wait. You must wait until the submission is successfully completed, and the form will then automatically redirect you to the next page.

B.  When the e98 form is returned to you with the Notice Number in the top right corner and displaying a link to the wage determination (WD) at the bottom; you should first print and retain a copy of this form for your records, and then click on the link to open the WD and save the WD to your computer.

C.  If the e98 form comes back to you with the Notice Number in the top right corner and displaying the message: Your request is being processed, you should receive a response within five (5) business days. You should print and retain a copy of the form for your records and wait the requested days for the WHD email to arrive. If a response email does not arrive within 5 business days, please call Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division Branch of Service Contract Wage Determinations at (202) 693-0073 or email WHD-WDS-PolicySupport@dol.gov .

D.  If the e98 form displays the Page cannot be displayed error; you should exit your web browser, restart your computer, and resubmit the e98 web form again. If the error persists, please contact the Wage and Hour Division Wage Determination System Technical Support Team at (202) 515-2666 or email WHD-WDS-TechnicalSupport@dol.gov.

E.  SF98_Automated_Response email will be sent to the email address provided in the 9. Official Submitting Notice area. If the message did not arrive on the day of submission, please call Wage and Hour Division Wage Determination System Technical Support Team at (202) 515-2666 or email WHD-WDS-TechnicalSupport@dol.gov.