Construction Company Builds HR Infrastructure from Scratch

The Challenge

A Wilmington general contractor grew from 20 to 110 employees in 4 years with no HR function. There was no employee handbook, no I-9 compliance program, no written offer letters, no job descriptions, and no documented policies. A near-miss with a DOL subcontractor audit exposed six compliance gaps risking federal project debarment.

The Catapult Approach

Catapult deployed a Fractional HRBP on-site two days per week for 90 days. The team built the complete HR infrastructure: employee handbook, I-9 audit and corrections for all 110 employees, workers’ comp tracking, standardized offer and separation templates, job descriptions for all 23 position types, and a basic HRIS. Owner and supervisors trained on legal obligations for hiring, discipline, and termination.

Results

• ✓Full HR infrastructure built in 90 days — handbook, I-9 program, offer templates, HRIS, job descriptions
• ✓Six critical compliance gaps closed before next federal project bid
• ✓I-9 corrections completed for all 110 employees — no ICE or DOL action
• ✓Workers’ comp incident reporting increased 300% as process became clear
• ✓Owner reclaimed estimated 12 hours/week previously spent on reactive HR issues
• ✓Company successfully bid and won first federal construction project within 6 months