govconlaw

Are they independent contractors or employees? What’s the economic reality?

On January 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a final rule on worker classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Under the final rule, the DOL is modifying their Wage and Hour Division regulations to reflect its latest analysis/guidance for determining whether a worker should be classified as an employee...
Read More

The Looming Government Shutdown – How Will it Affect Government Contractors?

If Congress cannot pass a new funding plan by October 1, 2023 (the start of the federal fiscal year), the Government will “shut down” financially at 12:01 A.M. and that shut-down will last until Congress signs a new funding bill into law. The question is—what do you do as a government contractor when faced...
Read More

The Supreme Court Has Spoken – The FCA and Scienter

“For scienter, it is enough if respondents believed that their claims were not accurate.” 1 - Justice Thomas On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court issued its opinion on the ongoing False Claims Act (“FCA”) scienter issues (the “Opinion”) – i.e., does a company’s objective or subjective knowledge matter regarding whether its submissions to...
Read More

The Supreme Court continues to define the False Claims Act

The Supreme Court continues to define the False Claims Act (“FCA”). In September 2022, Ward & Berry explained the possibility of the Supreme Court taking on a second FCA case¹ this term, and why we should care about it. Short answer: The “knowledge” aspect of the FCA is under heavy debate and any resolution...
Read More

To the Printers! Federal Contractors are required to post new “Know your Rights” Posters

Posted on November 10, 2022
On October 19, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its “Know Your Rights” poster. On October 28, 2022, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance (“OFCCP”) notified federal government contractors that they must now use the 2022 “Know Your Rights” poster instead of the 2009 “EEO is the Law” poster and the 2015...
Read More

EEO-1 Report Filers: Beware of Possible Public Disclosure of Federal Contractor Data!

Posted on September 23, 2022
On August 19, 2022, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a public notice calling for objections to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) for all EEO-1 Reports submitted between 2016-2020. The OFCCP believes that the requested information may be protected...
Read More