Improved Veteran Hiring

In late August, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) – in an effort to improve initiatives aimed toward hiring veterans and individuals with disabilities – announced a “Final Rule” that makes changes to the

  • Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
  • Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

This Final Rule will take effect sometime around March, 2014.
The Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against protected veterans, and it requires these employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote and retain these workers.
The new regulation requires that contractors establish annual hiring benchmarks for protected veterans. Contractors must use one of two methods to establish these benchmarks, which can be:

  • equal to the national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force (currently around 8%), which will be published and updated annually by the Dept. of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
  • established using certain data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service/Employment and Training Administration (VETS/ETA) – also published by OFCCP – as well other factors that reflect the contractor’s unique hiring circumstances. The data will be posted in the soon-to-be-released Benchmark Database.

In addition, contractors need to develop better data collection methods to better allow them to measure the effectiveness of their outreach and recruitment efforts.  Contractors need to document and update several quantitative comparisons annually for the number of veterans who apply for jobs and the number of veterans hired.
In addition, contractors must invite applicants to self-identify as protected veterans at both the pre-offer and post-offer phase of the application process.
Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities, and requires these employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote and retain these individuals.
The new “Final Rule” establishes a nationwide 7% utilization goal for the employment of individuals with disabilities.  In addition, contractors need to develop better data collection methods to allow them to better measure the effectiveness of their outreach and recruitment efforts.
Contractors must also invite any eligible applicant to self-identify as an individual with a disability at both the pre-offer and the post-offer phase of the application process.
At Job Store Staffing, we want to improve the abilities of our veterans to transition into the civilian workforce.  You have served your country; now let Job Store Staffing provide you with the information you need.  When you are ready to start the job search, contact us today! If you are looking for staffing agencies in Colorado, contact Job Store today.

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