1. Description of Business

GEE Group Inc. was incorporated in the State of Illinois in 1962 and is the successor to employment offices doing business since 1893. GEE Group Inc. and its wholly owned material operating subsidiaries, Access Data Consulting Corporation, Agile Resources, Inc., BMCH, Inc., Paladin Consulting, Inc., Scribe Solutions, Inc., SNI Companies, Inc., Triad Logistics, Inc., and Triad Personnel Services, Inc. (collectively referred to as the “Company”, “us”, “our”, or “we”) are providers of permanent and temporary professional and industrial staffing and placement services in and near several major U.S cities. We specialize in the placement of information technology, accounting, finance, office, engineering, and medical professionals for direct hire and contract staffing for our professional clients and provide temporary staffing services for our industrial clients.

The Company markets its services using the trade names General Employment Enterprises, Omni One, Ashley Ellis, Agile Resources, Scribe Solutions Inc., Access Data Consulting Corporation, Paladin Consulting Inc., SNI Companies (including Staffing Now, Accounting Now, and Certes), Triad Personnel Services and Triad Staffing. As of March 31, 2022, we operated twenty-eight (28) branch offices in downtown or suburban areas of major U.S. cities in eleven (11) states and serve four (4) additional U.S. locations utilizing local staff members working remotely.

Liquidity

The primary sources of liquidity for the Company are revenues earned and collected from its clients for the placement of contractors and permanent employment candidates and borrowings available under its current and former asset-based senior secured revolving credit facilities. Uses of liquidity include primarily the costs and expenses necessary to fund operations, including payment of compensation to the Company’s contract and permanent employees, payment of operating costs and expenses, payment of taxes, payment of interest and principal under its debt agreement, and capital expenditures.

On April 19, 2021, the Company completed the initial closing of a follow-on public offering of 83,333 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $0.60 per share. Gross proceeds of the offering totaled $50,000, which after deducting the underwriting discount, legal fees, and offering expenses, resulted in net proceeds of $45,478. On April 27, 2021, the underwriters of the Company’s follow-on public offering exercised, in full, their 15% over–allotment option to purchase an additional 12,500 common shares (the “option shares”) of the Company at the public offering price of $0.60 per share. The Company closed the transaction on April 28, 2021 and received net proceeds from the sale of the option shares of approximately $6,937, after deducting the applicable underwriting discount.

On April 20, 2021, as the result of the completion of the public offering, the Company repaid $56,022 in aggregate outstanding indebtedness under its then existing Revolving Credit, Term Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of March 31, 2017, as amended, including accrued interest, using the net proceeds of its recent underwritten public offering and available cash. The repaid debt was originally obtained from investors led by MGG Investment Group LP (“MGG”) on April 21, 2017 and had a maturity date of June 30, 2023. The MGG debt was comprised of a revolving credit facility with a principal balance on the date of repayment of approximately $11,828, which was subject to an annual interest rate comprised of the greater of the London Interbank Offering Rate (“LIBOR”) or 1%, plus a 10% margin (approximately 11% per annum), and a term loan with a principal balance on the date of repayment of approximately $43,735, which was subject to an annual interest rate of the greater of LIBOR or 1% plus a 10% margin. The term loan also had an annual payment-in-kind (“PIK”) interest rate of 5% in addition to its cash interest rate, which was being added to the term loan principal balance (cash and PIK interest rate combined of approximately 16% per annum). Accrued interest of approximately $459 was paid in connection with the principal repayments.

On May 14, 2021, the Company entered a Loan, Security and Guaranty Agreement for a $20 million asset-based senior secured revolving credit facility with CIT Bank, N.A. (the “CIT Facility”). Concurrent with the May 14, 2021 closing of the CIT Facility, the Company borrowed $5,326 and utilized these funds to pay all remaining unpaid Exit and Restructuring Fees due to its former senior lenders in the amount of $4,978, with the remainder going to direct fees and costs associated with the CIT Facility. Additional information regarding the CIT Facility is presented in Note 8.

2. Significant Accounting Policies and Estimates

Basis of Presentation

Principles of Consolidation

Use of Estimates

Revenue Recognition

3. New Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, authoritative guidance amending how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. The guidance requires the application of a current expected credit loss model, which is a new impairment model based on expected losses. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. The Company has not yet determined the impact of the new guidance on its condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU simplifies accounting for income taxes by removing the following exceptions: (1) exception to the Incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation, (2) exceptions to accounting for basis differences when there are ownership changes in foreign investments, and (3) exception in interim period income tax accounting for year-to-date losses that exceed anticipated losses. The ASU also improves financial statement preparers’ application of income tax related guidance for franchise taxes that are partially based on income; transactions with a government that result in a step up in the tax basis of goodwill; separate financial statements of legal entities that are not subject to tax; and enacted changes in tax laws in interim periods. The ASU is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years. ASU 2019-12 became effective for the three-month period ended December 31, 2021 and had no material impact on our consolidated financial statements. The Company will continue to monitor the impact of the ASU on our condensed consolidated financial statements in the future.

4. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, net consisted of the following:

Depreciation expense for three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 was $94 and $180, and $77 and $150, respectively.

5. Leases

The Company leases space for all its branch offices, which are generally located either in downtown or suburban business centers, and for its corporate headquarters. Branch offices are generally leased over periods ranging from three to five years. The corporate office lease expires in 2026. The Company’s leases generally provide for payment of basic rent plus a share of building real estate taxes, maintenance costs and utilities.

Operating lease expenses were $543 and $1,077, and $562 and $1,123 for the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases consisted of the following:

Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases consisted of the following:

6. Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill

Goodwill as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021 consisted of the following:

The Company completed its most recent annual goodwill impairment assessment, as of September 30, 2021, and determined that its goodwill was not impaired. The amount of discount inherent in the Company’s market capitalization reported on the NYSE American exchange when compared with consolidated stockholders’ equity, or net book value, had increased since September 30, 2021; therefore, the Company performed an interim assessment of its goodwill for impairment as of December 31, 2021. The estimated fair values of its Professional Services and Industrial Services reporting units were adjusted based on qualitative and quantitative analysis so that they reconcile more precisely with the Company’s market capitalization as of December 31, 2021, plus an assumed control premium. As a result, the Company recognized a non-cash impairment charge of $2,150 during three-months ended December 31, 2021. The Company reassessed the qualitative and quantitative analysis at March 31, 2022 and determined there was no additional impairment during the three-month period ended March 31, 2022.

Intangible Assets

The following tables set forth the costs, accumulated amortization and net book value of the Company’s separately identifiable intangible assets as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021 and estimated future amortization expense.

7. Former Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan

The Company and its subsidiaries, as borrowers, were parties to a Revolving Credit, Term Loan and Security Agreement (the “Former Credit Agreement”) with certain investment funds managed by MGG. The principal and remaining unpaid accrued interest and fee balances under the Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan balances outstanding under the Former Credit Agreement, as amended, were fully repaid and the Former Credit Agreement was retired on April 20, 2021. Additional information regarding the repayment of the Former Credit Agreement is presented in Note 1.

8. Senior Bank Loan, Security and Guarantee Agreement

On May 14, 2021, the Company and its subsidiaries entered a Loan, Security and Guaranty Agreement for a $20 million asset-based senior secured revolving credit facility with CIT Bank, N.A.. The CIT Facility is collateralized by 100% of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries who are co-borrowers and/or guarantors. The CIT Facility matures on the fifth anniversary of the closing date (May 14, 2026).

As of March 31, 2022, the Company had $0 in outstanding borrowings and $14,057 available for borrowing under the terms of the CIT Facility. The Company also had $637 in unamortized debt issue cost associated with the CIT Facility. The amortization expense of these debt costs totaled $38 and $76 for the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022, respectively.

Under the CIT Facility, advances will be subject to a borrowing base formula that is computed based on 85% of eligible accounts receivable of the Company and subsidiaries as defined in the CIT Facility, and subject to certain other criteria, conditions, and applicable reserves, including any additional eligibility requirements as determined by the administrative agent. The CIT Facility is subject to usual and customary covenants and events of default for credit facilities of this type. The interest rate, at the Company’s election, will be based on either the Base Rate, as defined, plus the applicable margin; or LIBOR (or any successor thereto) for the applicable interest period, subject to a 1% floor, plus the applicable margin. The CIT Facility also contains provisions addressing the potential future replacement of LIBOR utilized and referenced in the loan agreement, in the event LIBOR becomes no longer available. In addition to interest costs on advances outstanding, the CIT Facility will provide for an unused line fee ranging from 0.375% to 0.50% depending on the amount of undrawn credit, original issue discount and certain fees for diligence, implementation, and administration.

9. CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program Loans

Between April 29 and May 7, 2020, the Company obtained PPP loans for each of its operating subsidiaries. The PPP loans were used primarily to restore employee pay-cuts, recall furloughed or laid-off employees, support the payroll costs for existing employees, hire new employees, and for other allowable purposes including interest costs on certain business mortgage obligations, rent and utilities. Each of the Company’s subsidiaries executed a separate promissory note evidencing unsecured loans under the PPP. The following promissory notes were executed by the Company and its subsidiaries: GEE Group, Inc. for $1,992; Scribe Solutions, Inc. for $277; Agile Resources, Inc. for $1,206; Access Data Consulting Corporation for $1,456; Paladin Consulting, Inc. for $1,925; SNI Companies, Inc. for $10,000; Triad Personnel Services, Inc. for $404; Triad Logistics, Inc. for $78; and BMCH, Inc. for $2,589.

The Company and its operating subsidiaries have been granted forgiveness of their respective outstanding PPP loans, including the Company’s last four remaining PPP loans and interest for GEE Group Inc., BMCH, Inc., Paladin Consulting, Inc., and SNI Companies, Inc., in the amounts of $2,024, $2,630, $1,956, and $10,163, respectively, which were forgiven by the SBA in December 2021. The Company recognized net gains of $16,773, in aggregate, during the six months ended March 31, 2022 as a result of the forgiveness of its last four PPP loans.

10. Accrued Compensation

Accrued Compensation is comprised of accrued wages, the related payroll taxes, employee benefits of the Company’s employees, including those working on contract assignments, commissions earned and not yet paid and estimated commissions and bonuses payable. 

11. Equity

Preferred Stock 

The Company has authorized 20,000 shares of preferred stock of which 1,000 shares have been designated Series A Preferred Stock, and no shares are issued or outstanding; 5,950 shares have been designated Series B Preferred Stock, of which 5,926 shares were issued and none remain outstanding, and 3,000 shares have been designated Series C Preferred Stock, of which 2,093 shares were issued and none remain outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021. Based on the terms of the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock, if certain fundamental transactions were to occur, the Series B Convertible Preferred Stock would require redemption, which would preclude permanent equity classification on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Series C Convertible Preferred Stock has a Liquidation Value equal to $1.00 per share and ranks pari passu with the Company’s Series B Convertible Preferred Stock and senior to all “Junior Securities” (including the Company’s Common Stock) with respect to any distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary.

Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Stock Plan

As of March 31, 2022, there were stock options outstanding under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2013 Incentive Stock Plan (the “Plan”). During fiscal 2021, the 2013 Incentive Stock Plan was amended to increase the total shares available for restricted stock and stock options grants by 10,000 to a total of 15,000 (7,500 restricted stock shares and 7,500 stock option shares). The Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors to grant either incentive or non-statutory stock options to employees. Vesting periods are established by the Compensation Committee at the time of grant. As of March 31, 2022, there were 10,636 shares available to be granted under the Plan (5,778 shares available for stock option grants and 4,858 shares available for restricted stock grants).

Restricted Stock

The Company granted 100 shares of restricted common stock during the six-month period ended March 31, 2022. Share-based compensation expense attributable to restricted stock was $76 and $148, and $163 and $336 during the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of March 31, 2022, there was approximately $467 of unrecognized compensation expense related to restricted stock outstanding, and the weighted average vesting period for those options was 3.08 years.

Warrants

The Company had 77 warrants outstanding as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021 with a weighted average exercise price per share of $2. The outstanding warrants had a weighted average remaining contractual life of 3.01 and 3.50 as of March 31, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. No warrants were granted or expired during the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021.

12. Income Tax

The following table presents the provision for income taxes and our effective tax rate for the three and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021:

The effective income tax rate on operations is based upon the estimated income for the year and adjustments, if any, in the applicable quarterly periods for the potential tax consequences, benefits, resolutions of tax audits or other tax contingencies.

Our effective tax rate for the three and six-month period ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, is lower than the statutory tax rate primarily due to the effect of the valuation allowance on the net DTA position. Other than the deferred tax liability relating to indefinite lived assets, the Company is maintaining a valuation allowance against the remaining net DTA position.

13. Commitments and Contingencies

Litigation and Claims

On March 23, 2022, the Company settled a legal matter involving two separate, but related lawsuits, filed by plaintiff Sands Brothers Venture Capital II, LLC. These two lawsuits and others in which the Company was not a named party, involved a dispute amongst certain former affiliate and non-affiliate entities, and certain former officers and directors of the Company, stemming from a series of transactions that allegedly occurred during the period 2008 through 2010. The Company was sued in 2014 and 2017, based on the allegation that it was a participant and aided and abetted in the fraudulent conveyance of funds. The plaintiff was a creditor of an unaffiliated now defunct entity whose assets the Company is alleged to have received. Given the facts and circumstances of the case, it has been the Company’s belief and assessment that the lawsuits were meritless, and that the likelihood of a material adverse resolution was remote. GEE Group’s ongoing legal expenses including depositions, court filings, etc. incurred over the years to defend itself from the claims made by the plaintiff in the respective lawsuits, have, for the most part, been either paid directly to the law firms or reimbursed by insurance.  

The Company continues to believe that its defenses were meritorious and that the final results of litigation would, overall, have been favorable on the merits. However, given the age of the matter, the potential future significant ongoing uninsured portions of legal and other costs to be incurred, including the extraordinary expenses of flying and housing witnesses and experts for the trial, and the future time, attention and effort necessary by management to satisfactorily resolve the matter through the courts, the Company made the business decision to take advantage of an opportunity to settle the case. In this regard, the Company entered into a Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release, dated March 23, 2022, with the plaintiff for both lawsuits. Under the terms of the agreement and release, neither the plaintiff nor the Company have admitted or conceded to any wrongdoing, and the matter has been settled in its entirety for a one-time, payment to the plaintiff of approximately $1,175, of which the Company’s portion is $975, with insurance paying the balance. This payment was due and paid by April 8, 2022, and the expense has been recognized as a pre-tax charge in the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022.

The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various other litigation that arises in the ordinary course of business. There are no other pending significant legal proceedings to which the Company is a party for which management believes the ultimate outcome would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position.

14. Segment Data

The Company provides the following distinctive services: (a) direct hire placement services, (b) temporary professional services staffing in the fields of information technology, accounting, finance and office, engineering, and medical, and (c) temporary industrial staffing. These services can be divided into two reportable segments: Professional Staffing Services and Industrial Staffing Services. Some selling, general and administrative expenses are not fully allocated among Industrial Services and Professional Staffing Services.

Unallocated corporate expenses primarily include certain executive compensation expenses and salaries, certain administrative salaries, corporate legal expenses, stock compensation expenses, consulting expenses, audit fees, corporate rent and facility costs, board fees, acquisition, integration and restructuring expenses, and interest expense.

15.  Defined Contribution Plan

The Company provides a defined contribution plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for the benefit of its eligible core and field personnel, including those assigned to provide staffing services for clients. The 401(k) Plan allows participants to make contributions subject to applicable statutory limitations. The Company matches participants’ contributions with 10% of the first 10% of a participant’s contribution. The Company match contributed $28 and $37, and $20 and $30, respectively, from continuing operations to the 401(k) Plan for the three-month and six-month periods ended March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021.