Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

I think my company is a federal contractor and has regulatory obligations, but where can I look to search for that information?

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Doing business with the United States federal government can be very lucrative, but it comes with a price.

That price arrives in the form of reporting obligations, recordkeeping, outreach, and much more.

Failure to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements can also have steep consequences, so it is very important for federal contractors to ensure they are doing all that is required.

Companies are sometimes unaware that they are a covered contractor or subcontractor and, thus, find themselves unprepared for an Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) compliance review. In an effort to better prepare for these types of situations, this article is intended to provide some practical information and resources about federal contractor thresholds and where to look for federal contracts.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=598152

What contractors need to know about new sex discrimination rules

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OFCCPOn June 15, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)  published a final rule detailing the obligations of federal contractors to ensure nondiscrimination on the basis of sex, and to take affirmative action to treat all applicants and employees equally without regard to sex.

OFCCP is an agency within the Labor Department that enforces a number of employment-related laws applicable to federal contractors, including Executive Order 11246, which bars discrimination on the basis of sex and race. OFCCP originally published its Sex Discrimination Guidelines in 1970, but had not previously revised them.  This new rule represents the agency’s interpretation of Executive Order 11246 as it relates to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity in light of 45 years of legal developments.

The new rule takes effect Aug. 15, 2016.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2016/07/what-contractors-need-know-about-new-sex-discrimination-rules/129938

 

DOL issues final rule revising sex discrimination guidelines for federal contractors

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OFCCPOn June 15, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule revising the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (OFCCP) long-standing sex discrimination regulations.

According to the DOL, the rule “substantially revises the existing sex discrimination guidelines, which have not been substantively updated since 1970, to align them with current law and legal principles and address their application to contemporary workplace practices and issues.”

The final rule is effective August 15, 2016, and applies to employers with federal contracts or subcontracts totaling $10,000 or more over a 12-month period, unless those employers are otherwise exempt. The final rule implements Executive Order 11246, which after amendments issued by President Obama, prohibits sex discrimination, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=501884

Federal contractor guidance on prohibiting LGBT discrimination arrives amid heated Congressional debate

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EO 11246The Labor Department yesterday (June 15, 2016) published detailed guidance to help federal contractors comply with an executive order that prohibits companies from discriminating against LGBT employees.

The final rule updates existing anti-discriminatory guidelines already on the books to include sexual orientation and gender identity and explains contractors’ obligations and potential costs related to implementing the amended Executive Order 11246, which President Obama issued in July 2014. The original E.O., issued by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1960s, prohibited federal contractors from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Obama updated it to include the language related to LGBT employees and applicants, and added protections against retaliation for employees who openly discuss or disclose compensation.

The E.O. applies to federal contractors and subcontractors who do more than $10,000 in business with the government in one year.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/contracting/2016/06/federal-contractor-guidance-prohibiting-lgbt-discrimination-arrives-amid-heated-congressional-debate/129070

Responding to a scheduling letter from the OFCCP: Little things matter

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It is the Tuesday after a long holiday weekend, and you are faithfully going through the pile of mail on your desk when you spy an envelope from the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

OFCCPaffYou open the envelope and, sure enough, your facility has been selected for a compliance review under Executive Order 11246, the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.  Which of the following most accurately describes your response?

  1. Hot dog! I finally get to do something with those affirmative action plans I have been patiently preparing for years!
  2. Story of my life . . . any time I take a long weekend, I always return to bad news.
  3. An OFCCP audit?  Someone turn off the lights so I can curl up and cry in the corner.

Regardless of which response you chose, before you respond to the OFCCP, there are several things you should do to increase your chances of a successful audit outcome.

Read the six things you should do at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=425852

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