NT Lakis has prepared an updated self-identification template soliciting veteran status information to comply with the affirmative action requirements enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), and the reporting requirements enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL-VETS).
The new template reflects OFCCP’s recent clarification of the “active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran” (ADWCBV) category. The clarification significantly broadens the scope of that category, and nearly triples the number of veterans protected by the rules OFCCP enforces. Under OFCCP’s new interpretation, the vast majority of veterans in the civilian labor force now qualify as protected veterans.
In light of this change, federal contractors may want to resurvey their existing workforce using a self-identification form that tracks OFCCP’s expanded definition. Federal contractors also should begin using a revised form that accurately captures protected veteran data as soon as possible going forward to comply with their annual veterans’ reporting requirements enforced by DOL-VETS.