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X12 transaction guide · Government and regulatory

EDI 288 Wage Determination

The bi-directional X12 document used to request and respond to requests for wage information, such as prevailing wage rates.

Sent by
Contracting agency, contractor or labor authority
Received by
Labor authority or requester
Standard
ANSI ASC X12

What is an EDI 288?

The EDI 288 Wage Determination is the bi-directional ANSI X12 transaction set used to request, and respond to requests for, wage information such as prevailing wage rates. The information can be determined by occupational category and geographic area.

Government-funded construction and service contracts often require contractors to pay at least the prevailing wages set for each occupation and locality. Contracting agencies obtain the applicable wage determinations and include them in solicitations, so bidders price labor correctly. Determinations are updated periodically.

How the EDI 288 worksDiagram of the EDI 288 Wage Determination. Contracting agency, contractor or labor authority sends it to labor authority or requester. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 288 worksWage Determination: who sends it, where it fits and what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 288SENDERContracting agency,contractor or laborauthorityRECEIVERLabor authority orrequester997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partners agreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997FunctionalAcknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDsISA … IEAFunctional group, ID code WIGS … GETransaction set 288ST … SEHEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop N1 · repeats many timesN1Party Identification+ 2 optional loops, starting with:DTMLMDETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:LXBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them; when a loop is used, that first segment is required. Optional segmentsoutside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12 008010 listing for the 288. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds its own requirements.
How the EDI 288 worksDiagram of the EDI 288 Wage Determination. Contracting agency, contractor or labor authority sends it to labor authority or requester. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by 997. Inside the ISA, GS and ST envelopes, X12 release 008010 requires, in the heading: BGN (Beginning Segment) and the required N1 loop with N1 (Party Identification). 3 optional loops are listed by their first segment.How the EDI 288 worksWage Determination: who sends it, where it fitsand what the standard marks required1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeEDI 288SENDERContractingagency,contractor orlabor authorityRECEIVERLabor authorityor requester997 or 999 acknowledgment back, if the partnersagreeUSUALLY FOLLOWED BY997Functional Acknowledgment2 WHAT X12 RELEASE 008010 REQUIRESInterchange: sender and receiver IDs (ISA… IEA)Functional group, ID code WI (GS … GE)Transaction set 288 (ST … SE)HEADINGBGNBeginning SegmentRequired loop N1 · repeats manytimesN1Party Identification+ 2 optional loops, starting with:DTMLMDETAIL+ 1 optional loop, starting with:LXBlue box: required loop. Optional loops are listedby the segment that starts them; when a loop isused, that first segment is required. Optionalsegments outside loops are not drawn.Structure: required segments and loops in the X12008010 listing for the 288. Your trading partner'simplementation guide adds its own requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends the 288, to whom, and which documents usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what X12 release 008010 itself requires: the envelopes around the 288 and the segments and loops the standard marks as required, area by area. Optional loops are listed by the segment that starts them rather than drawn in full. This is the standard's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: each partner's implementation guide usually makes some optional loops mandatory, restricts the codes and may use a different release.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Requesting prevailing wage determinations
  • Providing wage rates for contract solicitations
  • Updating wage determinations

Where it fits in the document flow

This document 288 Wage Determination
Usually followed by 997 Functional Acknowledgment

Structure

Mandatory segments in the 288 (X12 release 008010)

The segments X12 release 008010 marks as mandatory at their level, in order. Segments inside optional loops are needed only when the loop is used. This is the standard's requirement, not your trading partner's: each partner's implementation guide names the release it uses, adds the optional segments it requires and restricts the values. The requirement status comes from one published X12 reference listing and has not been checked against a second source.

  • ST
  • BGN
  • N1
  • DTM
  • LM
  • LX
  • LQ
  • SE

Practical example

The 288 in practice

A federal agency prepares to solicit a building maintenance contract. It requests the applicable wage determination for the occupations and county involved, and the labor authority responds with the prevailing wage rates and fringe benefits. The agency includes them in the solicitation.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for the 288

  • Use the wage determination in force for the contract.
  • Identify occupations and locations precisely.
  • Track updates that affect existing contracts.
  • Follow the labor authority's current systems.

How ECOM helps

Automate the 288 with ECOM

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

Solution

Procure-to-Pay Automation

Automate purchasing, receiving and supplier invoicing across EDI, portals and documents.

Solution

EDI Integration

Exchange X12 and EDIFACT documents with partners and integrate them directly with your ERP.

More general questions about EDI are answered in the EDI FAQ.

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