September was a busy month for federal contractors due to new
regulatory requirements. Earlier last month, we told you
about
President Obama's new executive order requiring covered
government contractors to provide their employees with paid sick
leave. Now, the US Department of Labor (DOL) has made it official
that (1) government contractors may not discriminate against their
employees for discussing their pay or the pay of co-workers; and
(2) the minimum wage for employees of federal contractors will
increase in 2016.
New pay discrimination rule
In September, the DOL's Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a Final Rule implementing
Executive Order 13665, which prohibits federal contractors from
firing or otherwise disciplining employees or job applicants for
discussing their pay or the pay of co-workers. The new rule goes
into effect January 11, 2016, and applies to all federal contracts
and subcontracts that exceed $10,000 in value.