On October 30, 2023, President Biden issued an “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence” (the “EO”), the first executive order directly addressing artificial intelligence.

Of particular interest to federal government contractors, the EO provides that within 365 days of publication

Quick Hit

On July 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced a proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) to implement President Biden’s Executive Order (the “Order”) requiring an increase of the minimum wage for certain employees of covered federal contractors and subcontractors to $15.00 per hour – except for tipped

Quick Hit:  Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) has issued Directive 2019-01 (the “Directive”), which rescinds Directive 2011-01 which established OFCCP’s now-defunct Active Case Enforcement or “ACE” policy.  Through ACE, OFCCP conducted fewer but more intensive compliance evaluations of government contractors.  In issuing the Directive, OFCCP is formally ending ACE, while adopting an approach it contends keeps the better components of ACE while allowing OFCCP to conduct more compliance evaluations in a more efficient manner.

Quick Hit:  The Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) issued Directive 2019-03 (the “Directive”), which announces two steps the agency will take to enhance compliance assistance for contractors.  OFCCP will now make “certain Help Desk inquires and responses dynamically available and searchable as a self‐service option on OFCCP’s website.”  OFCCP will also begin using Opinion Letters to provide guidance to the contracting community in response to fact-specific inquiries from contractors and their employees.  The Directive envisions that these changes will provide a resource for contractors, thereby enhancing compliance.

Once again, a government shutdown seems inevitable.  During previous government shutdowns, government agencies and departments issued stop-work orders, grinding work on government projects and contracts to a halt.  Contractors were then faced with the difficult task of remaining in compliance with their obligations to their employees while work and

The Austin, Texas location of LandCare USA, LLC (the “Company”), a company providing landscaping services, recently entered into a conciliation agreement with the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) to settle claims that the Company had discriminated in its hiring of females, and non-Hispanic applicants in its Laborer job