U.S. Department of Labor publishes rule governing federal contractors' obligations to veterans

Rule expands veteran coverage and changes mandatory listing requirement

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today published regulations that implement changes to the nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations of federal contractors and subcontractors with respect to protected veterans.

The changes are required by the Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA), which was enacted by Congress in 2002 and amended section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). Among other actions, the JVA expanded the categories of veterans protected by the affirmative action provisions of the law and changed the manner in which federal contractors must list employment openings.

The new regulations permit covered contractors to satisfy the mandatory listing requirement by listing job openings with the appropriate state workforce agency job bank or local employment delivery system. Many state workforce agency job banks accept job postings via the Internet, and a list of hyperlinks can be found at careeronestop.org/ajbprsjbl. Contractors may use third parties, such as private or nonprofit sector job banks, Internet gateway and portal sites, and recruiting services and directories, to assist them with the transmission of job listings.

The new rule, which will become effective 30 days from today, only applies to government contracts of $100,000 or more entered into or modified on or after Dec. 1, 2003. Government contracts of $25,000 or more entered into prior to Dec. 1, 2003, will continue to follow the existing VEVRAA regulations available on OFCCP's Web site at http://s.dol.gov/9Q.

A copy of the final rule and frequently asked questions are available on OFCCP's Web site at www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/index.htm. Anyone seeking additional information may call the OFCCP Help Desk toll-free at (800) 397-6251 or send e-mail to OFCCP-Public@dol.gov.

OFCCP, an agency of the Labor Department's Employment Standards Administration, enforces Executive Order 11246 and other laws that prohibit employment discrimination by federal contractors. The agency monitors federal contractors to ensure that they provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, gender, color, religion, national origin, disability or veteran status.

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