OFCCP has finalized its rule making to officially confirm the Agency does not, and should not, exert authority over TRICARE providers. OFCCP first took this position in a proposed rule making in November 2019. In the final rule, OFCCP concluded it does not have jurisdiction over healthcare providers based solely on TRICARE provider network
Regulatory Update
BREAKING NEWS: No EEO-1 Reporting in 2020
EEOC has announced there will be no EEO-1 reporting obligation in 2020.
In a press release, EEOC acknowledged it
will delay the anticipated opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency.
The announcement stated that…
Another Year, Another Reduced Veteran Hiring Benchmark
Under 41 CFR 60-300.45, OFCCP must publish the “national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force” for contractors to use as a “hiring benchmark.” OFCCP’s initial veteran hiring benchmark (in 2014) was 7.2% . Every year since, this percentage of available veterans has decreased. This year, the veteran hiring benchmark…
OFCCP Proposes Codification of Procedures for Addressing Alleged Discrimination and Defines Statistical Thresholds
OFCCP has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM or Proposed Rule) proposing to codify procedures the agency uses to resolve potential violations of the affirmative action laws the agency enforces. If approved, the regulation would significantly clarify (if not alter) both the procedures and substantive rules according to which OFCCP seeks to resolve allegations…
OFCCP Proposes to Formally Withdraw Authority Over TRICARE Employers
As previewed earlier this year, OFCCP is scheduled to publish on November 6, 2019 its proposed rule making addressing jurisdiction for TRICARE contractors and subcontractors. As a reminder, OFCCP has had an audit moratorium in place since 2014 for employers that participate in TRICARE.
The proposed rule making seeks to codify OFCCP’s most recent…
President Trump Revokes Obama-Era Protections for Service Workers
In an Executive Order issued yesterday, President Trump revoked Obama-Era Executive Order 13495, which provided some protection – a right of first refusal for continued employment – to qualified service workers when a government contract was replaced with a new contract and successor contractor at the same location. President Trump’s Executive Order provides no…
OFCCP Seeks to Tweak Disability Self-Identification Form
At a time when the Agency has begun embarking on Section 503 Focused Reviews, OFCCP continues work to prevent discrimination for individuals with disabilities. Last week, as national disability awareness month began, OFCCP quietly published a request to tweak its prescribed disability self-identification form. The revisions seek to streamline the form and provide additional guidance…
EEOC Seeks Court Permission to Deem Pay Data Reporting Complete
In the next chapter of the pay data reporting saga, the EEOC has filed a Motion with the court seeking an order “determining that the EEO-1 Component 2 data collection is deemed complete.” The EEOC is reporting that
as October 8, 2019, 75.9% of eligible filers had submitted Component 2 data.
EEOC previously suggested…
OFCCP Receives Push Back on Proposed “Religious Freedom” Protections
In August, OFCCP issued a proposed new rule to clarify aspects of a religious exemption available to federal contractors. According to OFCCP, the rule is intended to provide clarity regarding the scope and application of the existing religious exemption consistent with the evolving landscape of religious freedom- based legal developments, including Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd.…
OFCCP Proposes New Rule to “Ensure Religious Employers are Protected”
As previewed in the Spring regulatory agenda, the Office of Federal Compliance Contract Programs (OFCCP) has proposed a new rule to clarify aspects of a religious exemption available to federal contractors. In the proposed rule, the agency said it intends to address concerns from religious organizations that ambiguity in the exemption left them…