The U.S. Department of Labor has updated its sex discrimination policy for federal contractors and subcontractors for the first time in nearly 40 years to ensure “equal opportunities for both men and women applying for jobs with, or already working for, these employers.”
The updated rule is aimed at ensuring implementation with a White House executive order that ensures nondiscrimination on the basis of sex, and requires affirmative action be followed to ensure equal employment opportunities.
“We have made progress as a country in opening career opportunities for women that were, for decades, the province of men. Yet, there is more work that lies ahead to eradicate sex discrimination,” Patricia Shiu, director of the OFCCP, said in a statement. “This is why it is important that we bring these old guidelines from the ‘Mad Men’ era to the modern era, and align them with the realities of today’s workplaces and legal landscape.”
The rule updates regulations for federal contractors to make sure they are consistent with current law. It explicitly protects people who work for contractors from pay discrimination, sexually hostile work environments and discrimination based on pregnancy, gender identity, transgender status and “unlawful sex stereotypes.”
It also prohibits contractors from discriminating when it comes to employment on the basis of sex.
“The rule adopted today will mean that long debunked stereotypes will not keep workers from getting a new job or a promotion,” Latifa Lyles, director of the Women’s Bureau, said in a statement. “This is an important reminder that there is no such thing as ‘women’s work’ or ‘men’s work,’ there is only work.”
This revision coincides with the United State of Women Summit taking place today in the White House, which addresses gender equality. The event is sponsored by the White House Council on Women and Girls.
