Federal Contractors

Many federal contractors already have an obligation to develop and maintain written Affirmative Action Plans. Now, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced that those same companies will be required to use a new online platform, called the “Affirmative Action Plan Verification Interface,” available here, to annually certify that they are complying with that obligation.… Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a Final Rule on Monday November 22, 2021 raising the minimum wage for federal contractor employees to $15 an hour. The Rule takes effect on January 30, 2022 and will apply to new or updated contracts with the U.S. Government. The higher wage will apply to existing contracts when parties exercise their option to extend contracts, which often occurs annually.… Continue Reading

The deadline for covered federal contractors to comply with the vaccine mandate was extended from December 8 to January 4.  For more information on the mandate, read our September post.  The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force also updated its FAQs on the mandate to address coverage for affiliated entities.

This extension of the deadline comes at the same time that OSHA issued an Emergency Temporary Standard that requires most private-sector employers with 100 or more employees to have their employees vaccinated or test weekly by January 4. … Continue Reading

On September 24, 2021, the White House issued Guidance explaining that Federal contractors and subcontractors with a covered contract or contract-like instrument must comply with the following workplace safety protocols:

  1. COVID-19 vaccination of covered contractor employees, except where an employee is legally entitled to an accommodation;
  2. Compliance with masking and physical distancing while in covered contractor workplaces; and
  3. Designation of a person or persons to coordinate COVID-19 workplace safety efforts at covered contractor workplaces.
… Continue Reading

Several new developments have come from the Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) this week.

In a notice published to the Federal Register on September 2, 2021, the OFCCP announced that it is revisiting its current position on Component 2 pay data, collection of which was suspended during the Trump administration.… Continue Reading

On July 21, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced that a wide range of government contractors would be required to pay private sector employees at least $15 per hour, in a plan to carry out President Joe Biden’s executive order signed this past April.  Our blog post about President Biden’s executive order requiring the wage increase can be found here.… Continue Reading

On Tuesday, April 27, President Biden signed an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their employees a minimum of $15 an hour starting on March 30, 2022. After that, the order will continue to index the minimum wage for federal contractors to an inflation measure.

This raise in the pay floor – which was previously increased by President Obama – represents a hike of about $4.… Continue Reading

In November, New Jersey voters said “yes” to the legalization of recreational marijuana.  On February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation that legalized and decriminalized recreational marijuana and established a system for a recreational marijuana industry in New Jersey.

Importantly, the new legislation addresses many issues of significance affecting the employer-employee relationship. … Continue Reading

As one of his first official acts as the President of the United States, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (the Executive Order). It set in stone the social justice policies underpinning the Biden administration and repealed two Executive Orders issued by former President Trump: 1) Executive Order 13950 on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping and 2) Executive Order 13958 on Establishing the President’s Advisory 1776 Commission.… Continue Reading

Ballard Spahr Labor attorneys Meredith Dante, Steve Suflas, and Chris Kelly discuss what a Biden-Harris administration means for employers in the area of labor and employment law. The team discusses what they expect to see from a new administration regarding: potential changes to the National Labor Relations Act; the priorities of a new National Labor Relations Board; wage and hour impacts, and worker classification, at the federal level; and evolving equal employment opportunity, and equal pay, issues.… Continue Reading