NELI Webinar Discusses OFCCP's Proposed Section 503 Amendments

The National Employment Law Institute (NELI) conducted an interactive webinar last week where they discussed the OFCCP’s proposed amendments to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Many people expressed their opinion of the proposed changes and NELI’s presenters provided guidance on the ramifications and processes for contractors to follow should they wish to submit public comment to the OFCCP.

If you missed the presentation from NELI, the Employment Law Daily has provided an informative summary of NELI’s review:

http://www.employmentlawdaily.com/index.php/news/contrary-to-ofccp-assertions-proposed-hiring-goal-for-individuals-with-disabilities-is-a-quota-says-expert-but-it-would-not-be-unlawful/

"Contrary to OFCCP assertions, proposed hiring goal for individuals with disabilities is a quota, says expert, but it would not be unlawful.

Despite the OFCCP's statements to the contrary, the proposed national utilization goal for individuals with disabilities contained in the OFCCP’s proposal to amend its regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a quota. This was stated by OFCCP expert John C. Fox during the NELI webinar about the proposal. He explained, however, that hiring quotas for the disabled are lawful because individuals without disabilities are not a protected class. Disability law expert David K. Fram joined Fox for the January 10 webinar on the OFCCP’s Notice of Proposed RuleMaking (NPRM) that was published in the Federal Register on December 9, 2011 (76 FR 77056-77105)."

[Read the full Employment Law Daily post]

The last day to post comment on the Section 503 amendments is February 7, 2012.

OFCCP Webinar Presentation: Proposed Revisions to Section 503 Regulations

On December 9, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a proposal to strengthen the affirmative action requirements of federal contractors to improve employment for individuals with disabilities. This historic effort to revise and update Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act has generated considerable interest from workers, advocates, employers and other stakeholders as evidenced by the high participation rates for two informational Webinars OFCCP held during December 2011.

Based on this demand, the OFCCP is offering another Webinar on the Section 503 NPRM on January 11, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. OFCCP Branch Chief for Policy Naomi Levin will review highlights of the proposed rule and discuss how you can weigh in on the process.

The OFCCP invites you to attend this Web seminar using WebEx. This event requires registration.

Meeting Details:

Topic: Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act Notice of Proposed Rule Making
Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Time: 2:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time (New York, GMT05:00)

To register for the online event:

1. Click here to register for the online event.
2. Click "Register".
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click "Submit".

Once your registration has been processed, you will receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.