DOL Increases Hourly Minimum Wage to $17.20 for Federal Contractors Starting January 1, 2024
Beginning on January 1, 2024, Executive Order 14026 (Order) will raise the minimum wage for workers performing work on or in connection with covered contracts to from $16.20 to $17.20 per hour, a second year of a significant adjustment to the minimum wage for service and construction workers doing work on federal projects. Government contractors in the service and construction sectors should evaluate how the minimum wage increase will affect their operations and pricing strategies when bidding on new government . . . Read More
Impact of New Health and Welfare Rates on SCA Government Contracts
It’s that time of the year again when the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issues new Service Contract Act (SCA) health and welfare (H&W) rates. In June 2023, WHD increased the prevailing H&W fringe benefits from a rate of $4.80 per hour to $4.98 per hour. Where a contractor is obligated to comply with Executive Order (EO) 13706 sick leave obligations, the rates have increased from $4.41 per hour to $4.57 per hour. Updated rates of . . . Read More
Time Runs Out on TikTok: New FAR Clause Bans TikTok on Federal Contractor Devices
The federal government recently issued an interim rule , effective immediately, prohibiting the presence or use of the TikTok application in the performance of a contract. This rule continues the government’s actions against TikTok based on privacy and cybersecurity concerns raised by the links between the application’s parent company and the Chinese government. More specifically, the clause implements the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, which was enacted last December as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Federal government contractors should be . . . Read More
PilieroMazza Launches New Labor & Employment Podcast for Government Contractors
Do you have 10 minutes or less to stay on top of the ever-changing laws and regulations around labor and employment? Check out PilieroMazza ‘s new podcast “ Clocking in with PilieroMazza: Labor and Employment News for Government Contractors .” Each podcast offers bite-sized nuggets of valuable information to help employers—particularly those operating in the highly regulated world of government contracting—meet their compliance requirements and ultimately remain competitive. Visit the links below for the first series of episodes. Use #LNE4GovCons to find the latest episodes on LinkedIn or visit this link . We . . . Read More
Financial Capital, Human Capital Will Be at a Premium in Indian Country in 2023
PilieroMazza ’s Nichole Atallah , a partner in the Firm’s Labor & Employment Group , is featured in the article below “Financial Capital, Human Capital Will Be at a Premium in Indian Country in 2023,” originally published in the Summer 2023 edition of NC Magazine. Nichole is joined by Karla Bylund, owner of Soaring Bird Solutions. Attending RES2023? Come visit Nichole and her partner Sarah Nash at Exhibit Booth 702, where they’ll be available to address your most pressing legal concerns around labor and employment laws. Economic development is . . . Read More
Proposed Ban on Non-Compete Agreements May Affect Government Contractors’ Ability to Win Recompetes
In January 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed rule to ban the use of non-compete clauses in employment agreements. The rule follows President Biden’s July 9, 2021, executive order encouraging the FTC to engage in rulemaking restricting the “unfair use of non-compete clauses and other clauses or agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.” The FTC invites the public to comment by March 20, 2023. In this blog, we discuss important considerations related to the FTC’s proposed nationwide ban . . . Read More
Have You Updated the Minimum Wage? Government Contractors Struggle with Minimum Wage Confusion
On January 1, 2023, the minimum wage for government contractors under Executive Order 14026 increased from $15.00 per hour to $16.20 per hour. We wrote about Executive Order 14026 and its requirements previously here . There continues to be confusion as to when and how Executive Order 14026 applies, so here are a few key components that government contractors should keep in mind. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.222-55, Minimum Wages for Contractors Under Executive Order 14026 (distinguished from the former FAR . . . Read More
Remedies for NLRA Violations Now Include Consequential Damages: Important Takeaways for Employers
Last year, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the agency tasked with enforcing employee rights to organize and discuss terms of employment, issued a number of decisions that impacted U.S. labor law. One decision stands out as fundamentally changing enforcement mechanisms under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). PilieroMazza discusses the decision and important takeaways for employers below. On December 13, 2022, the NLRB issued a decision in Thryv, Inc. and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1269. The decision . . . Read More
Labor & Employment Scoop! Important Takeaways for Government Contractors from NILG 2022
In this blog, PilieroMazza ’s Labor & Employment attorney Sara Nasseri summarizes important takeaways for government contractors from the National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) Conference in July, which focuses on developments and updates surrounding EEO, affirmative action, HR compliance and diversity and inclusion issues. Described below are key priority items for the OFCCP and the EEOC, as well as updates to state laws impacting government contractors in 2022 and beyond. Also, please visit this link to register for PilieroMazza’s upcoming webinar detailing these changes and how to . . . Read More
New Virginia Law Prohibits “Pay-When-Paid” and “Pay-If-Paid” Provisions in Construction Contracts
Construction contracts routinely set payment terms as “pay-when-paid” or “pay-if-paid.” These terms protect the prime contractor from bearing all the risk of nonpayment by the owner. In Virginia, however, that will not be true for much longer. Last month, Virginia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 550, which makes “pay-when-paid” and “pay-if-paid” clauses unenforceable in most circumstances. Specifically, the new law applies to both public construction contracts and certain private construction contracts that involve at least one general contractor and one subcontractor. . . . Read More