On October 31, 2019, President Trump issued a new Executive Order that rescinded President Obama’s Executive Order 13495 (EO)—Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts —and its implementing regulations . The now rescinded EO required successor contractors to offer positions to qualified service workers and to provide employee notifications and workplace notice postings.

Additional Information on the Rescinded EO .      The recession is effective immediately. The former EO required that any contract or subcontract entered into by the federal government or its contractors covered by the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) include a clause that qualified workers currently on a covered contract be given the right of first refuse for employment with a successor contractor. The EO prohibited a successor contractor performing the same or similar services at the same location from hiring any new employees until qualified workers performing the prior contract were provided an opportunity to accept a job with the successor. The EO also required the predecessor contractor to provide written notice to eligible employees by either conspicuous workplace posting or by individual notices to employees. Federal contractors will no longer be required to post or provide EO notices as well.

Trump’s rescission order specifically terminates immediately any existing investigations or compliance actions based on EO 13495, and directs the Secretary of Labor and other heads of government agencies to promptly move to rescind any orders, rules, regulations, guidelines, programs or policies implementing or enforcing Obama’s executive order.

Of the three Executive Orders issued by President Obama which federal contractors sought to reverse—(1) Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces, (2) Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers under the Service Contracts and (3) Paid Sick Leave—only the Paid Sick Leave Executive Order is still in effect.

Contact your FortneyScott attorney who advises your company or email us at info@fortneyscott.com for additional information about the rescinded EO, and for advice on the impact that these changes have on your federal contracting compliance obligations.