On July 21, 2014, President Obama issued an Executive Order banning sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination by federal contractors. The Executive Order amends previous Executive Orders by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of classes protected from employment discrimination under Executive Order No. 11246, which applies to federal contractors. The Order is expected to go into effect in early 2015 after the Labor Department Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issues implementing regulations. Additional remarks made by the President are found on The White House Blog.
We will provide additional details once the OFCCP implements its regulations related to this most recent Executive Order. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact any member of our Employment and Labor Law team.