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Recently issued executive orders restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies and among federal contractors will have significant impacts on engineering firms. Whether you are a business leader, legal, or human resources professional, this program will have something for you.
Collectively, the executive orders create compliance and risk management challenges for businesses. Executive Order 13950 from September 2020 titled “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” is back. Under E.O. 14173 titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) within the U.S. Department of Labor must cease promoting diversity and allowing or encouraging federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin. Additionally, federal contractors must certify that they do not have any DEI programs that violate any applicable federal anti-discrimination laws. This certification will be subject to the False Claims Act penalties.
Join Cate McCaffrey with Gibson Dunn to review the executive orders and their implications for firms that work for federal clients, as well as risk management steps firms can take.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand what federal requirements have changed and what remains the same
- Consider the strategic and practical workforce implications for your company culture
- Identify the business processes and business systems that may need to be changed along with the necessary resources to address them
Presenter: Cate McCaffrey, Associate Attorney with Gibson Dunn