Valerie Hoffman Quoted in Law360
"Obama Won't Order Ban On Anti-Gay Bias By Contractors"

Seyfarth Shaw Labor & Employment partner Valerie Hoffman was quoted in a Law360 article on April 13. The article discussed an April 3 letter to President Obama to adopt an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Val said that Obama has already used his executive authority to significantly expand contractors' obligations to take affirmative action for individuals with disabilities and veterans. However, "Those proposed regulations have many federal contractors very upset," she said. "Even though most contractors want to hire vets and persons with disabilities, the burden imposed by the proposed regulations is immense."

The proposed executive order would add to President Lyndon Johnson's Executive Order 11246 mandates, which prohibit federal contractors from discriminating in employment decisions based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, as well as Obama's Executive Order 13583, which requires development of a governmentwide strategy to support diversity in the federal workforce.