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Government contractors are familiar with the obligation to retain minority or women-owned businesses as subcontractors to obtain government work. Increasingly, apex private sector businesses require participation by minority or women-owned businesses as a condition of obtaining work, as well.

A recent decision by the federal court for the Southern District of New York is a cautionary tale, and highlights the care required when terminating a minority business enterprise (MBE) sub-contractor. Annuity Funds Operating Engineers Local 15 v. Tightseal, No. 17-CV-3670 (S.D.N.Y. August 14, 2018).

Continue Reading Termination Of An MBE Can Lead To Liability

On February 1, 2018, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) sent 1,000 Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letters (CSALs) to federal contractors informing them that they may be audited for compliance with federal non-discrimination requirements/affirmative action plans.

Continue Reading Federal Contractors: Be Prepared For An Audit In 2018

In a move that will surprise few, the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has “stayed” the upcoming EEO-1 compensation data reporting requirement, pending further review. As we previously wrote about here, in 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) implemented a rule requiring employers with 100 or more employees (and federal contractors with 50 or more employees) to include compensation data in their annual EEO-1 reports. Covered employers were already required to file an EEO-1 report tracking race/ethnicity and sex; the stay does not impact this requirement. Continue Reading Federal Government Hits Pause on Upcoming Pay Reporting Requirement

While no one knows exactly how Donald Trump’s election as President will impact labor and employment laws in the country, it is a safe bet that there will be changes. Because Trump was virtually silent on the campaign trail regarding the specifics of any employment law policies, we are left to speculate on any upcoming changes.  We provide a brief overview of our best educated guesses on what changes could be in store given the election results.  Given Trump’s position on government enforcement and his pro-business stance, there is an expectation of changes to several employment-related laws. Continue Reading What Trump’s Election Means for Employment Laws

Title VII and the Equal Pay Act expressly ban the unequal treatment and compensation of female employees. Yet pay inequity can creep in to even the most well-intentioned companies.  As a consequence, standards for evaluating pay practices are rapidly evolving in both the public and private sectors, and many companies are pledging to improve wage equality.  What’s more, with the EEOC now targeting equal pay discrimination, we are primed to see a wave of class action lawsuits that could cost companies millions in back pay and damages.  Is your company keeping up? Continue Reading Pay Equity: Everything Employers Need to Know

Earlier this month, the National Labor Relations Board issued a memorandum announcing the steps it will take to report complaints alleged against federal contractor employers in order to comply with the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673.  In doing so, the NLRB became the first government agency to implement reporting procedures under the Executive Order, though regulations have not been finalized.  Noteworthy, it appears the NLRB will use the Executive Order’s reporting requirements as a pressure point to further encourage the early settlement of complaints filed against companies.  While it remains to be seen exactly how the Executive Order’s “blacklisting” procedures will impact federal contractors, it is important that companies understand the potential impact of the Executive Order and the planned procedures of the various administrative agencies, including the NLRB, to comply with the Executive Order. Continue Reading Federal Contractors Take Note – NLRB Will Report Complaints Unless Companies Agree to Settlement

It’s been more than a year since the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs issued groundbreaking new rules related to Section 503 and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, yet the Agency shows no signs of slowing down.  In the past several months, the OFCCP has issued proposed rules on hot topics such as pay discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Continue Reading Four Ways to Prepare for the New OFCCP Rules