On March 27, 2025, a judge for the Northern District of Illinois granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the DEI Certification and Termination Provisions authorized by President Trump’s Executive Orders 14151 and...more
On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Catherine Eschbach1 as the new director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). In its announcement, Director Eschbach expressed that she is...more
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order ending the obligation to pay individuals working on or in connection with certain federal contracts or subcontracts a minimum wage currently set at $17.75 per hour....more
On March 14, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit lifted the nationwide injunction on President Trump's executive orders targeting inclusion, equity, and diversity (IE&D) programs, allowing enforcement while...more
On February 21, a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against several elements of Trump’s executive orders regarding DEI or DEIA. The reach of this preliminary injunction goes beyond the plaintiffs in...more
2/24/2025
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Fifth Amendment ,
First Amendment ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Trump Administration
On February 15, 2025, the director of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), in his capacity as chair of the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC), issued a CAAC Letter authorizing executive agencies to deviate...more
On January 24, 2025, Acting Secretary of Labor Vincent Micone, III issued an order to all Department of Labor employees, including employees of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Office of Administrative Law...more
On January 21, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order titled, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” The order is targeted at what the president describes as “illegal” diversity,...more
1/23/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Trump Administration
On August 26, 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld a lower court’s injunction of Executive Order 14042, President Biden’s executive order requiring employees working on federal government contracts...more
The federal government’s complicated multi-pronged approach to implementing COVID-19 safeguards related to federal contractors has left many confused. ...more
10/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emergency Management Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Essential Workers ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On July 29, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden announced new requirements for federal employees and onsite federal contractors regarding vaccination status, masking, and social distancing....more
8/2/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Masks ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Public Health ,
Vaccinations ,
Workplace Safety
On July 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to implement and enforce Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors,” was published in the Federal Register. Executive Order...more
President Biden signed a flurry of executive orders on January 20, 2021, his first day in office, a number of which rescinded or revised the prior administration’s executive orders and policies with regard to equity in the...more
1/25/2021
/ Bias ,
Biden Administration ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
LGBTQ ,
OFCCP ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Title VII ,
Transgender
On October 21, 2020, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance released a Request for Information (RFI) relating to federal contractor and subcontractor training, and the recently issued Executive Order 13950. That order,...more
10/22/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Request For Information ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On October 7, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) released Frequently Asked Questions under the recent Executive Order 13950 regarding diversity and inclusion programs...more
10/8/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Sexual Stereotyping ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On September 22, 2020, the White House released a new executive order, On Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. Among other things, the order instructs government contracting agencies to add provisions to government contracts...more
9/24/2020
/ Bias ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Deregulation ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Training ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Race Relations ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Title VII ,
Trump Administration
On August 10, 2018, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a new directive, 2018-04, announcing a plan to implement focused reviews of contractors’ compliance with Executive...more
8/15/2018
/ Administrative Review ,
Affirmative Action ,
Cooperative Compliance Regime ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Risk Management ,
Veterans ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
On August 10, 2018, Craig Leen, Acting Director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), issued a new directive, 2018-03...more
On August 25, 2016, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council published in the Federal Register its highly anticipated Final Rule regarding the so-called "blacklisting" procedures for federal contractors President...more
9/1/2016
/ ADEA ,
Agricultural Workers ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Arbitration ,
Arbitration Awards ,
Blacklist ,
Competitive Bidding ,
Construction Industry ,
Davis-Bacon Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Final Rules ,
General Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) ,
Migrant Workers ,
Minimum Wage ,
NLRA ,
OFCCP ,
OSHA ,
Pay Transparency ,
Popular ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Seasonal Workers ,
Service Contract Act ,
Subcontractors ,
Title VII ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) ,
Wage and Hour
On August 24, 2016, the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (FAR Council) released the final rule implementing the “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive...more
8/25/2016
/ Arbitration ,
Blacklist ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces ,
Federal Contractors ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Mandatory Arbitration Clauses ,
NASA ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Transparency ,
Wage and Hour