Hurricane Relief Contractors Get an Affirmative Action Exemption

Federal contractors assisting the government in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura will be exempt from some affirmative action obligations for a period of three months, the Labor Department announced.

Businesses signing new federal contracts “to provide relief, clean-up or rebuilding efforts” in the wake of the storm won’t have to formulate written plans outlining their affirmative action steps until Nov. 27, the DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs said in a release. This is known as a “national interest exemption.”

Businesses must develop affirmative action plans in order to hold federal contracts, as required by Executive Order 11246, which ...