Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws

On August 3, 2009, the Office of Labor-Management Standards ("OLMS") in the Department of Labor ("the Department") issued a proposed rule implementing Executive Order 13496. This final rule sets forth the Department's review of and response to comments on the proposal and any changes made to the rule in response to those comments. President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13496 ("Executive Order" or "E.O. 13496") on January 30, 2009. The Executive Order requires nonexempt Federal departments and agencies to include within their Government contracts specific provisions requiring contractors and subcontractors with whom they do business to post notices informing their employees of their rights as employees under Federal labor laws. The Executive Order requires the Secretary of Labor ("Secretary") to prescribe the size, form, and content of the notice that must be posted by a contractor under paragraph 1 of the contract clause described in section 2 of the Order. Under the Executive Order, unless a specified exception or exemption applies, Federal Government contracting departments and agencies must include the required contract provisions in every Government contract. As required by the Executive Order, this final rule establishes the content of the notice required by the Executive Order's contract clause, and implements other provisions of the Executive Order, including provisions regarding sanctions, penalties, and remedies that may be imposed if the contractor or subcontractor fails to comply with its obligations under the Order and the implementing regulations.