U.S. DOL Announces New Section 503 Disability Regulations
From Michael J. Soltis of Lexology, The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has announced a final rule that changes the regulations that implement Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which deals with the employment of individuals with disabilities. The OFCCP has announced a nationwide 7% utilization goal for qualified individuals with disabilities. Contractors with more than 100 employees must apply this goal to each of their job groups, and those with 100 or fewer employees must apply it to their entire work force.
Contractors also are required to keep and analyze relevant employment data, invite applicants and employees to self-identify, incorporate specific equal employment opportunity language in their subcontracts, and allow reviews of their documentation. They are not required to implement written procedures for processing reasonable accommodation requests, but the final rule suggests that to do so is best practice.
