By Kelline R. Linton,
Junior Associate.
On August 27, 2013, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) announced a new rule that changed regulations under both the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The OFCCP revised the regulations in an effort to update and strengthen federal contractors’ affirmative action and nondiscrimination responsibilities for covered veterans and disabled individuals.
The biggest change is that federal contractors who are required to develop written affirmative action plans must now also establish a hiring benchmark for protected veterans each year and a hiring goal for qualified disabled individuals. Other key changes include new self-identification, recordkeeping, job listing, and equal opportunity clause requirements. The effective date for this new rule is expected to be in March 2014.
Bottom Line: Federal contractor employers should prepare to update their affirmative action plans, recordkeeping, outreach efforts, self-identification processes, job listing processes, and other sub-contract language in accordance with the new rule in 2014.