Updated Annual Hiring Benchmark and New Benchmark Resources
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) enforces the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), the law that prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating against protected veterans and requires these employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals.
VEVRAA requires contractors to establish a hiring benchmark every year to measure their progress toward achieving equal employment opportunity for protected veterans. They can establish the benchmark by adopting the national hiring benchmark, which is updated annually by OFCCP, or by setting an individualized benchmark using a five-factor method.
OFCCP’s national hiring benchmark for 2024 can be found on its VEVRAA hiring benchmark webpage. Effective March 31, 2024, the new benchmark is 5.2%.
OFCCP has also published two new examples to illustrate the use of the VEVRAA hiring benchmark: 1) an example of the national benchmark and 2) an example of an individualized benchmark using the five-factor method.
Additionally, OFCCP released a new course in the Contractor Compliance Institute (CCI) on the VEVRAA hiring benchmark. This 20-minute course covers the purpose of the benchmark, how to establish the benchmark, how to assess the benchmark, and provides resources to support ongoing VEVRAA compliance efforts. CCI is an online learning platform developed by the agency to help federal contractors comply with their equal employment opportunity obligations. Contractors can take this course or any of the courses in CCI by logging into an existing account or creating a new account.
Need more information on VEVRAA requirements? Visit our VEVRAA information webpage. Also, for assistance with CCI or any other inquiries about VEVRAA, please contact OFCCP's Help Desk at 1-800-397-6251 or go online for assistance.
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