Update Applicable to:

All Federal Contractors

What happened?

On May 12, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order revoking Executive Order 14042, which had required certain parties contracting with the Federal Government to follow specified COVID-19 safety protocols. 

What are the details?

Effective May 12, 2023, all prior guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force implementing the requirements of Executive Order 14042 has also been revoked. Pursuant to the Executive Order, the Federal Government will not take any steps to require covered contractors and subcontractors to come into compliance with previously issued Task Force guidance implementing Executive Order 14042 and will not enforce any existing contract clauses implementing Executive Order 14042.

For more information, please see the links below:

White House Announcement

Executive Order

Law Firm Articles: Link 1; Link 2

What do employers need to do?

Federal Contractors must promptly rescind any deviations, policies, or other guidance premised on Executive Order 14042. Despite this, some state and local requirements remain. It is a good time for employers who still have COVID-19 protocols in place to assess whether those protocols make sense for their workplace in light of the current COVID-19 circumstances (Link). Policies like testing and vaccination, and some accommodations, should be reviewed for legal compliance given the changes.

This communication is intended solely for the purpose of conveying information. The present post might incorporate hyperlinks directing readers to websites managed by third-party entities. The inclusion of any links within this communication is meant to serve as points of reference and could encompass opinion articles from various law firms, articles from HR associations, official websites, news releases, and documents of government agencies, and other relevant third-party sources. Vensure has no authority over these external websites and bears no responsibility for their content. Furthermore, Vensure does not endorse the materials present on these websites. The contents of this communication should not be interpreted as legal advice or as a legal standpoint concerning specific facts or scenarios. Nor should it be deemed an exhaustive compilation of facts potentially pertinent to federal, state, or local laws. It is strongly advised that employers solicit legal guidance from an employment attorney when undertaking actions in response to any legal updates provided. This is due to the possibility of future alterations occurring in federal, state, and local laws, regulations, as well as the directives and guidelines issued by governing agencies. These changes may transpire at any given time, potentially rendering certain portions of the content within this update void or inaccurate.