§ 200.463 - Recruiting costs.

§ 200.463 Recruiting costs.

(a) Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, and provided that the size of the staff recruited and maintained is in keeping with workload requirements, costs of “help wanted” advertising, operating costs of an employment office necessary to secure and maintain an adequate staff, costs of operating an aptitude and educational testing program, travel costs of employees while engaged in recruiting personnel, travel costs of applicants for interviews for prospective employment, and relocation costs incurred incident to recruitment of new employees, are allowable to the extent that such costs are incurred pursuant to the non-Federal entityrecipient's or subrecipient's standard recruitment program. Where the non-Federal entity When the recipient or subrecipient uses employment agencies, costs not in excess of standard commercial rates for such services are allowable.

(b) Special emoluments, fringe benefits, and salary allowances incurred to attract professional personnel that do not meet the test of reasonableness or do not conform with the established practices of the non-Federal entityrecipient or subrecipient, are unallowable.

(c) Where If relocation costs incurred incident to recruitment of a new employee have been funded in whole or in part to by a Federal award, and the newly hired employee resigns for reasons within the employee's control within 12 months after hire, the non-Federal entity will be required to recipient or subrecipient must refund or credit the Federal Government for its share of such those relocation costs to the Federal Government. See also § 200.464.

(d) Short-term , travel visa costs visas (as opposed to longer-term , immigration visas) are generally an allowable expenses that cost and they may be proposed as a direct cost . Since short-term visas because they are issued for a specific period and purpose , they and can be clearly identified as directly connected to work performed on a Federal award. For these costs to be directly charged to a Federal award, they must:

(1) Be critical and necessary for the conduct of the project;

(2) Be allowable under the applicable cost principles;

(3) Be consistent with the non-Federal entityrecipient's or subrecipient's cost accounting practices and non-Federal entity established written policy; and

(4) Meet the definition of “direct cost” as described in the applicable cost principles.

[78 FR 78608, Dec. 26, 2013, as amended at 79 FR 75887, Dec. 19, 2014; 85 FR 49569, Aug. 13, 2020]