Federal contractors must wait to ask applicants about criminal convictions until making a conditional job offer, beginning with any federal contracts resulting from solicitations issued after December 20, 2021. We previously reported on the federal law that established this “ban the box” requirement for federal contractors. It's part of the “Fair Chance to Compete…
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On December 17, 2021, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the preliminary legal hold on the OSHA COVID-19 (coronavirus) emergency temporary standard (ETS) for employers with 100 or more employees. This means that OSHA’s regulation requiring employees of covered employers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing is…
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On December 13, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an order requiring people to wear masks in all indoor public settings from December 15, 2021, through January 15, 2022, regardless of whether they’re vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus). The new order temporarily overrides the exception in Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 emergency temporary…
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According to the Department of Homeland Security, sometime in January 2022, foreign workers seeking to enter the U.S. through ports of entry on land or at ferry terminals will have to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (coronavirus). Currently, workers engaged in essential travel, such as truck drivers transporting commercial…
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AlliedBarton Security Services LLC agreed to pay $1,175,000 in back pay and interest to resolve allegations of pay discrimination uncovered during a routine affirmative action audit by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The OFCCP found pay disparities based on race and gender among employees in unarmed security…
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On December 7, 2021 a federal district court in Georgia issued a nationwide order prohibiting enforcement of the federal contractor COVID-19 (coronavirus) vaccine mandate until a full hearing can be held. A coalition of states, governors, state agencies, and a construction industry trade association had sued to stop the federal…
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Question: We’re thinking of requiring employees who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus) to wear an N95 mask at work, but would we have to implement a full respiratory protection program? Answer: No, if your primary reason for requiring an unvaccinated worker to wear a filtering facepiece respirator such as an N95 is for source…
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A federal district court in Kentucky has issued a preliminary order that places the federal contractor COVID-19 (coronavirus) vaccine mandate on hold in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Until a full hearing can be held, the court prohibited the federal government from enforcing the vaccine mandate on federal contractors in these…
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Two federal district courts have issued preliminary orders that will prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from enforcing its regulation requiring workers in most health care settings that receive reimbursements from Medicare or Medicaid to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (coronavirus). CMS issued its rule on November 5, 2021,…
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The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has announced that employers with federal supply or service contracts/subcontracts will be required to annually certify that they have developed written affirmative action plans (AAPs), with an initial deadline of June 30, 2022. The certification requirements apply to employers who are already…
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