On September 24, 2021, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued its COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors. This was part of President Biden’s Path Out of the Pandemic: COVID-19 Action Plan, announced in early September....
Virginia Enacts Sweeping New Covid-19 Workplace Requirements
While the recent Biden Administration actions to combat COVID-19 have been getting much of the attention, Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry (“DOLI”) has released the latest revised version of its COVID-19 safety requirements for employers in the...
Biden Administration Institutes Sweeping Vaccine Requirements for Federal Employees, Federal Contractors, and Businesses with More than 100 Employees
As part of a multi-pronged strategy to battle the latest rise in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Biden Administration is mandating a more stringent vaccination policy for the federal workforce, federal contractors, and businesses with...
The Danger of Not Strictly Following the Assignment of Claims Process
For a contractor, making sure it gets a steady cash flow so it can perform a government contract may be one of the most important prerequisites for successfully performing a contract. One way a contractor can be assured of steady cash flow is by doing “an assignment...
“Ratification” Makes Agency Pay for Using Expired Software License
If the government benefits from something a contractor provides without contracting officer approval, there are only a few ways a contractor can force the government to pay. In a recent decision of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA), the Board used one of...
Federal Court Confirms Employer’s Ability to Require COVID-19 Vaccinations for Workers
A recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas unquestioningly confirmed a private employer’s ability to mandate that its employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of continued employment. The case is Bridges, et al. v....
What Government Contractors Need to Know About the Executive Order Raising the Minimum Wage for Certain Federal Contractors
On April 27, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order raising the minimum wage from $10.95 to $15.00 per hour for certain federal contractors, starting January 30, 2022. The Executive Order will apply to any new contract; new contract-like instrument; new...
COBRA Premium Subsidy Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) includes a 100% COBRA subsidy for certain individuals for up to six months from April 1, 2021, through September 30, 2021. Key Takeaways: Eligible individuals include individuals who meet the following...
NEXTGEN is coming to the Rocket Docket
On April 12, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that it would be upgrading its CM/ECF system (the court’s electronic filing and publicly available electronic docket system) to the “Next Generation CM/ECF” on April 19, 2021....
“No Vaccine, No Service” – Can A Business Require Customers to be Vaccinated?
As we start to return to normal, many businesses are eager to start the recovery process after surviving 2020. However, many businesses are also keeping in mind the safety of their employees and their customers as capacity limits are eased. Recently, some businesses...