DOL issues proposed guidance, rule on Executive Order for federal contractors

Washington – The Department of Labor on May 27 issued proposed guidance to help contracting agencies and employers comply with an Executive Order that will require federal contractors to disclose labor law violations.

President Barack Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order last summer.

Under the order, which the White House has said it expects to be implemented in 2016, all employers seeking a federal contract valued at more than $500,000 will have to make known any violations cited by a DOL agency, such as OSHA.

The proposed guidance is aimed at educating contractors and subcontractors on what information must be reported, and helping contracting officers and Labor Compliance Advisors assess reported violations. In most cases, federal contractors will have to attest only that they comply with workplace protection laws, DOL stated in a press release. If contractors have violations, Labor Compliance Advisors will work with them to bring them into compliance.

Stakeholders have 60 days to comment on the proposal once it is published in the Federal Register, which is expected May 28.

Also set to be published May 28 is a Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council proposed regulation that would integrate the order’s requirements and DOL’s guidance into current procurement rules. Stakeholders likewise will have a 60-day comment period once the rule is published.

The Executive Order was issued to help ensure employers who win federal contracts are complying with federal labor laws and providing safe worksites for their employees.