Employment Laws for Federal Contractors

As a federal contractor you are subject to some unique labor and employment regulations. The following resources explain which of these regulations apply to you and how to comply.

Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is responsible for ensuring that employers doing business with the federal government comply with the laws and regulations requiring nondiscrimination and affirmative action in employment.

Basic Information

• Guide for Small Businesses with Federal Contracts
  Equal employment opportunity (EEO) requirements for small businesses that have federal contracts or subcontracts.
• Federal Contractor Compliance Advisor (elaws)
  This online, interactive tool helps federal contractors and subcontractors understand basic coverage and compliance information on equal employment opportunity laws and regulations.
• Overview of Employment Laws for Federal Contractors
  Provides law-specific compliance assistance information on E.O. 11246, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.
• Federal Contractor Compliance Manual
  This is the compliance manual used by the Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs to ensure that employers doing business with the federal government comply with the laws and regulations requiring nondiscrimination.
  

Affirmative Action Requirements

• Equal Employment Opportunity Guide for Small Businesses with Federal Contracts
  This guide is designed to give small businesses that have Federal contracts or subcontracts an introduction to the basic equal employment opportunity (EEO) requirements of Executive Order 11246 and its implementing regulations, which prohibit employment discrimination by Federal contractors and subcontractors and federally-assisted construction contractors and subcontractors.
  
• Small Contractor Affirmative Action Program (AAP) Job Group Availability Determinations
  Federal contractors are required to establish AAP job groups and compare their employment of minorities and women within those job groups to the availability of minorities and women who are 'available' for employment. Smaller contractors (contractors with fewer than 150 employees), however, may formulate their AAP job groups according to EEO-1 job categories. An explanation is provided on how smaller contractors may develop their availability determinations based on their job groups.
  

Contact Information

• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Key Personnel
  Listing of key personnel in OFCCP national office and regional offices.
  
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Nationwide Office Directory
  Listing of the OFCCP district and regional offices.
  

Hiring and Employing Veterans

• Federal Contractors' Obligations Regarding Veterans
  Federal employment law requires covered contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative steps to employ qualified Vietnam-era veterans, special disabled veterans, recently-separated veterans and other protected veterans. Other obligations including filing requirements by the federal contractors.
  
• Vets-100 Annual Report to be Filed by Federal Contractors
  The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 requires that Federal contractors report at least once annually the numbers of special disabled, Vietnam-era veterans, and other eligible veterans in their workforce by job category and hiring location and the total number of employees and the number of special disabled, Vietnam-era veterans, and other eligible veterans hired during the reporting period.

Wages and Hours

• Wage and Work Hours Regulations : Compliance Assistance for Federal Contractors
  Links to regulations covering wages and work hours that apply to Federal Government contractors.
• Davis-Bacon Poster
  Every employer performing work covered by the labor standards of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts shall post a notice (including any applicable wage determination) at the site of the work in a prominent and accessible place where it may be easily seen by employees.
  
• Davis-Bacon and Related Acts
  Provides public access to Davis-Bacon information and supports the user in filling out the Report of Construction Contractor's Wage Rates (WD-10) Form.
• McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA)
  The Act requires contractors and subcontractors performing services on prime contracts in excess of $2,500 to pay service employees in various classes no less than the wage rates and fringe benefits found prevailing in the locality, or the rates (including prospective increases) contained in a predecessor contractor's collective bargaining agreement. The Department of Labor issues wage determinations on a contract-by-contract basis in response to specific requests from contracting agencies.
  
• Service Contract Act/Walsh-Healey Poster
  Every employer performing work covered by the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act (PCA) or the McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) is required to post a notice of compensation required (including, for service contracts, any applicable wage determination) in a prominent and accessible location at the worksite where it may be seen by all employees performing on the contract.