Obama’s New Executive Actions Create More Burdens On Federal Contractors

To coincide with Equal Pay Day, President Obama April 8 issued two executive actions dealing with equal pay for women, specifically prohibiting federal contractors from retaliating against employees who discuss their compensation with fellow employees and requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to submit compensation data to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). 
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Federal Contractors Must Comply with New OFCCP Rules by March 24

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)  two recently finalized rules go into effect March 24, 2014. The rules drastically alter federal contractors’ existing affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations with respect to veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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President Signs Bipartisan Spending Bill with Funding Cuts to DOL, NLRB

President Obama Jan.17 signed into law a $1.01 trillion omnibus appropriations bill (H.R. 3547) that funds all federal agencies for fiscal year 2014. The Senate Jan. 16 passed the appropriations bill by a 72-26 vote and the House Jan. 15, passed the bill by a 359-67 vote. The legislation includes funding decreases for many federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board.
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OFCCP Offers Webinar Series on Veterans and Disability Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced a webinar series on the requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors when implementing the new Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act rules. 

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FAQs on OFCCP Final Rule Related to Disabled Workers and ABC’s Lawsuit

In August 2013, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued an affirmative action rule related to hiring disabled workers. In November, ABC filed an injunction against the rule. Below are a set of frequently asked questions on both OFCCP’s rule and ABC’s challenge to that rule.
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ABC Files Suit Against OFCCP Rule

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Nov. 19 filed a request for an injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against an Aug. 27 rule from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) that drastically alters federal contractors’ existing affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations for individuals with disabilities. The rule is schedule to go into effect March 24, 2014.
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OFCCP Final Rules on Affirmative Action to go into Effect March 24

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published two final rules Sept. 24, drastically revising Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which require federal contractors and subcontractors to maintain affirmative action and nondiscrimination plans for veterans and individuals with disabilities, respectively. The rules will go into effect March 24, 2014. 
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OFCCP Issues Final Rules on Affirmative Action for Federal Contractors

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Aug. 27 released two final rules that drastically alter federal contractors’ existing affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations for individuals with disabilities and veterans. ABC was critical of the rules because they, “set infeasible compliance requirements for federal construction contractors, despite the agency’s inability to demonstrate that contractors fail to meet the previous requirements under federal law.”
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House Passes Bipartisan Regulatory Reform Bills

The U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills in bipartisan votes that will help reform the regulatory process. The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act (H.R. 367) passed 232-183 on Aug. 2 and the Energy Consumers Relief Act (H.R. 1582) passed 232-181 on Aug. 1.
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ABC Sends Concerns About DOL Initiatives to New Secretary of Labor

After Thomas E. Perez was sworn in as the new Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL) July 23, ABC sent a letter congratulating him on his confirmation and asking him to consider ABC’s concerns regarding DOL initiatives. 
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