Two new Department of Labor (DOL) rules represent opportunities for workforce development organizations to help government contractors recruit and hire qualified veterans and people with disabilities toward fulfillment of new hiring goals.
One rule establishes a metric for contractors to measure their success in recruiting and employing veterans, based on the national percentage of veterans in the workforce (currently 8%), or their own benchmark based on the best available data. The rule also strengthens accountability and record-keeping requirements, and clarifies job listing and subcontract requirements to facilitate compliance.
The second rule introduces a hiring goal for federal contractors and subcontractors to employ people with disabilities as 7% of each of their job groups, or if they have fewer than 100 employees, their entire workforce. (Job groups are categories of employees with comparable job responsibilities as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.) The rule also details specific actions contractors must take to recruit and track their progress in hiring disabled workers.
The rules will take effect 180 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Meanwhile, you can learn more at upcoming webinars organized by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs as follows:
Wednesday, September 11, 2:00 pm Eastern, Webinar on the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act Final Rule to promote employment of veterans
Wednesday, September 18, 2:00 pm Eastern Webinar on the Section 503 Final Rule to improve job opportunities for people with disabilities
For more details on the new rules, please visit the DOL website:
Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act Rule, to promote employment of veterans
Section 503 Rule, to improve job opportunities for people with disabilities