The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”), an agency within the Department of Labor, has recently announced two significant changes that will impact covered contractors and subcontractors in the coming months.
Continue Reading AAP Changes Ahead for Federal Contractors
Since 2014, OFCCP-covered employers have been required to invite job applicants, pre-offer, to disclose their disability status via a form prescribed by the OFCCP. The information thus obtained helps employers analyze (1) the efficacy of their diversity recruiting efforts and (2) hiring rates of persons with disabilities. This week, the Agency unveiled a modified format for that invitation. OFCCP hopes the revised form will increase the response rate for applicants and employees, who are often reluctant to disclose disabilities.
Continue Reading OFCCP Updates Disability Self-ID Form
The Federal government has entered its 12th day of partial shutdown, making it the fourth longest in American history to date. But, not all government departments are affected, and the Department of Labor is one that is not.
Continue Reading DOL Unaffected By Shutdown: OFCCP Remains Active
The OFCCP vowed things would change after President Trump’s election. It is making good on that promise. The Agency issued three new Directives in the last two weeks, following four others earlier this year. The good news for contractors is that the OFCCP’s actions are almost all pro-business, aimed at making the Agency more transparent, objective, and efficient.
Continue Reading The OFCCP’s Been Busy — 9 New Directives This Year, Largely Pro-Business
Federal contractors have been closely following leadership changes at the OFCCP. Most notably, President Trump appointed Ondray T. Harris as OFCCP Director, and Craig Leen as Senior Advisor to the OFCCP. Both men have backgrounds in management-side private law practice. This has contractors hopeful they may bring fresh eyes and a more pragmatic approach to the OFCCP.
Continue Reading A New Era At The OFCCP
Federal contractors have extra time this year to submit their annual VETS-4212 report. In order to accommodate the needs of those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, Federal contractors who file their VETS-4212 Reports by November 15, 2017 will not be cited for failure to file a timely Report or failure to comply with Federal regulations.
Continue Reading Hurricanes Harvey and Irma – Filing Deadline Extended for Vets-4212 Report
On May 23, 2017, the Department of Labor released its budget proposal for fiscal year 2018. The budget contains several cost-cutting measures that reflect the new priorities of the Trump administration. A notable aspect of the proposed budget is a request to merge the EEOC and OFCCP.
Continue Reading Will The OFCCP Survive Past 2018? Merger With EEOC Proposed
On March 27, 2017, President Trump signed H.J. Res. 37, blocking the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rule, the controversial rule enacted by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council in August 2016, that legislators have criticized as a method to blackball federal contractors. The bill’s signing follows the U.S. Senate’s March 6, 2017 vote of 49-48 (along party lines) to formally disapprove of the rule.
Continue Reading Trump Acts to Block the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rules
The Trump Administration will leave in place an executive order signed by President Barack Obama, which bans sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination by federal contractors. President Obama signed the order in 2014. By doing so, he amended and expanded previous executive orders signed by Presidents Nixon and Clinton, which ban discrimination by federal contractors on the basis race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, status as a parent, and age.
Continue Reading Executive Order Banning Discrimination By Federal Contractors Remains In Force
Yesterday a federal court in Texas partially enjoined enforcement of what is known as the “blacklisting” rule. The injunction comes one day before reporting was to begin under the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order, 13673.
The “blacklisting” order would have required prime contractors, as part of federal contract bidding that occurs after October 25, 2016, to report to the federal government all violations of fourteen labor and employment laws during the preceding year, via a public website. The government would have the option to reject a contract bidder based on the violations disclosed. The order also would have imposed restrictions on pre-dispute arbitration agreements for civil rights and sexual assault claims, effective today.
Continue Reading Last Minute Injunction Stops “Blacklisting” Order