labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Employers should be aware of two new required US Department of Labor initiatives to promote the hiring of veterans and protect the rights of applicants with disabilities.

 

Both initiatives were introduced through the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, or OFCCP. This agency enforces regulations that apply to companies with federal contracts in excess of $50,000.

 

The Good Faith Initiative for Veterans Employment, also known as G-FIVE will help federal contractors and subcontractors comply with updated regulations regarding the employment of veterans.

 

“The G-FIVE was created to address the employment challenges facing the veteran workforce today by recognizing federal contractors for their efforts in employing and advancing covered veterans,” said Charles E. James Sr., deputy assistant secretary for OFCCP. “It reaffirms OFCCP’s commitment to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act and creates an excellent incentive for federal contractors to hire veterans.”

 

“The G-FIVE also strengthens partnerships between OFCCP and veterans groups and other agencies,” added Victoria Lipnic, assistant secretary of labor for employment standards. “It’s an OFCCP initiative that supports America’s heroes.”

 

The second initiative, Ensuring the Accessibility of Online Application Systems, is designed to ensure that federal contractors and subcontractors provide equal opportunity to qualified applicants with disabilities, including disabled veterans. The program will help disabled applicants compete for jobs when using an online application system. Under the new regulations, electronic job application systems must be accessible to, and usable by, applicants who have disabilities. If the electronic system is not handicapped accessible, the employer must provide a reasonable accommodation that allows an equal opportunity to compete for a job.

 

These new regulations were introduced partly due to the popularity of online resume sites such as www.careerbuilder.com  and www.monster.com.

 

“Nothing is more fundamental to equal employment opportunity than the opportunity to apply for a job,” said James. “As more and more employers turn to the Internet to locate and screen job applicants, this initiative is crucial to ensuring that disabled veterans and other qualified individuals with disabilities are afforded that opportunity when an online system is used.”

 

The directives outlining these new initiatives, along with frequently asked questions, are available on OFCCP’s Web site at www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/index.htm.

 

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