Regulations

Federal Regulations

Contractor Requirements

As a condition of conducting business with the government, contractors are required under Executive Order 11246 to develop and implement a written Affirmative Action Plan. The agency established to provide guidance, monitor and enforce these regulations is the The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs)

The OFCCP is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration. 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. They enforce contractors to engage in self analysis for the purpose of discovering any barriers to equal employment opportunity.

Equal Employment Opportunity Laws Enforced by OFCCP

Executive Order 11246, as amended ( E.O. 11246) prohibits discrimination and requires affirmative action to ensure that all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended ( Section 503) prohibits discrimination and requires affirmative action in the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities.

The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended (VEVRAA) prohibits discrimination against specified categories of veterans protected by the Act and requires affirmative action in the employment of such veterans. Effective December 1, 2003, the Jobs for Veterans Act (JFA) amended VEVRAA’s federal contracting provisions regarding coverage, protected groups and mandatory job listing requirements for all federal contracts entered into on or after December 1, 2003. Contracts entered into before this date are subject to the VEVRAA requirements as they stood before enactment of JVA.

OFCCP monitors compliance with these equal employment opportunity laws and their corresponding affirmative action requirements primarily through compliance evaluations, during which a compliance officer examines the contractor's affirmative action program and employment practices. OFCCP also investigates complaints filed by individuals alleging discrimination by federal contractors and subcontractors on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, status as a qualified individual with a disability or as a protected veteran.