The federal government has recently issued two laws that specifically impact federal contractors. Here’s what you need to know:
The Fair Chance Act for federal government contractors went into effect on October 2, 2023, which limits federal agencies from asking about a job applicant’s criminal history until a conditional offer has been made. While these are guidelines that have been loosely implemented through Ban the Box initiatives, the regulation cements the ability for individuals with records to compete fairly for employment.
Exceptions to the law may depend on the type of position an individual is applying for. These types of roles include law enforcement, nation security duties, jobs with access to classified information, and roles that legally require disclosure on criminal backgrounds. Agencies have the ability to request exceptions from the Office of Personnel Management, and applicants can still be rejected based on criminal history after being assessed on other factors and a conditional offer has been made. Click here for more information.
Another regulation affecting federal contractors is the government’s recently issued No TikTok on Government Devices Act banning the use of TikTok or any successor app developed by ByteDance Limited on all government-owned or managed technical devices, including personal devices used for federal contract work. This rule aims to prevent possible national security implications as a result of massive data gathering.
This rule applies to solicitations and awards issued on or after June 2, 2023. Click here to learn more.
Learn more about the rights and classification of federal employees here.
If you have questions about the new regulations affecting federal contractors and compliance, I’m happy to help. Please contact me at edgar@officiumdc.com.
If you’re interested in additional information about Officium LLC and the HR, mediation and business solutions services we offer, please click here.