Number: RS22282
Title: Katrina Relief: U.S. Labor Department Exemption of Contractors from Written Affirmative Action Requirements
Authors: Jody Feder, American Law Division 
Abstract: In September, 2005, the Employment Standards Administration (ESA) of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a memorandum to all federal contracting agencies waiving for a three-month period written affirmative action program, reporting, and notice requirements with respect to federal contracts for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The ESA invoked a regulatory exemption to relieve contractors of the obligation "to develop the affirmative action program, prepare the reports, or provide the notices usually required" by DOL regulations under E.O. 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRA). However, while avoiding affirmative action planning and reporting aspects - possibly including goals, timetables, and perhaps other "proactive" hiring and recruitment methods - the memorandum indicated that federal contractors would remain subject to the basic anti-discrimination bans under those laws, which may be enforced by individual complaint or agency compliance review. Although the ESA memorandum clarified that the waiver is "subject to an extension should special interests in the national interest so require," the exemption does not appear to have been extended beyond the initial three-month period.
Pages: 4
Date: January 22, 2007