Articles Discussing Affirmative Action and Veterans

As new regulations from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) go into effect, the OFCCP has released guidance and materials to help covered contractors comply with the new requirements. The new resources include a hiring benchmark database, an updated outreach resources directory, and a Spanish language Section 503 self-identification form.

Executive Summary: The Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in which the agency proposes revising the regulations addressing reporting requirements under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA).

The DOL’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to rescind the filing of the annual VETS-100 form and revise the filing of the VETS-100A reports. The proposal would make the following six changes:

Employers holding contracts with the federal government in excess of $10,000, as well as their subcontractors, should be aware of some important changes to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503).

Today, September 24, 2013, the OFCCP published in the federal register the Final Rule revising the VEVRAA and Rehabilitation Act regulations. This means the revised regulations will take effect March 24, 2014, which is 180 days from today’s date.

The OFCCP has announced that it will hold a Twitter chat this Friday, September 13, 2013, from 2:00-3:00 EDT to discuss the new rules updating the regulations interpreting the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. Information regarding the chat is available on the Department of Labor’s blog at: http://social.dol.gov/blog/join-the-conversation-on-twitter-accessjobs/.

On August 27, 2013, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a pre-release of the final version of its revised affirmative action regulations for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. The OFCCP anticipated that these final regulations will be officially published in the Federal Register within two weeks. The effective date of the new regulations will be 180 days after the regulations are published in the Federal Register—approximately mid-March 2014.

As expected, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has wasted no time in finalizing rules amending federal contractor affirmative action requirements for veterans and individuals with disabilities. The first rule amends regulations governing the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), while the other updates Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503) .

Executive Summary: The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has sent its final rules amending federal contractors’ affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations toward disabled persons and protected veterans to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Review by the OMB is the final step before an agency rule is finalized and published.

Executive Summary: The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has indicated that it plans to publish final regulations regarding federal contractors’ affirmative action and nondiscrimination obligations toward individuals with disabilities and certain protected categories of veterans this month (July 2013). The final regulations could impose substantial new and different requirements on federal contractors in these areas.

Executive Summary: The Department of Labor’s Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS) has announced that it is extending the deadline for the submission of VETS-100/VETS-100A reports from September 30 to October 31, 2012.

The Obama Administration’s recently issued policy directives and the issuance of new guidance documents by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) suggest increased scrutiny on the part of the EEOC when it comes to the hiring and employment of veterans, particularly those who may be disabled.