Acting Labor Secretary Vincent Micone has ordered DOL personnel to cease all enforcement activities under rescinded Executive Order 11246 and to pause enforcement activities under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 pending further guidance. Secretary’s Order 03-2025, issued January 24, 2025, covers “all pending cases, conciliation agreements, investigations, complaints, and any other enforcement-related or investigative activity.”
Micone’s order follows President Trump’s Executive Order, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, which rescinded E.O. 11246 and directed the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to immediately stop any efforts to hold federal contractors responsible for taking affirmative action.
The Micone order also directs DOL to notify all entities with open reviews or investigations that the E.O. 11246 components of their reviews or investigations have been closed and that the “Section 503 and VEVRAA components … are being held in abeyance pending further guidance.” It is not yet known how the Labor Department will handle conciliation agreements that have been signed but not fully executed (such as those with pending class member settlements and progress reports).
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC), our affiliated nonprofit membership association, can read more here.