Advocacy Group Proposes Actions to Restore Federal Contractor Employee Rights

In June 2026, the National Partnership for Women & Families, Equal Rights Advocates, and The 75 Million Project released a brief urging Congress to restore and strengthen anti-discrimination protections for federal contractor workers after President Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246. For employers, the message is clear: compliance rules will keep shifting, so consistent data collection and analysis are now essential.

For nearly 60 years, Executive Order 11246 set the standard for equal employment opportunity among federal contractors. That changed in January 2025, when President Trump issued Executive Order 14173 to revoke EO 11246. Now, three leading advocacy organizations have laid out a roadmap for Congress to bring those protections back—and make them harder to undo. Here's what employers should take away, and why staying ahead of the data is your best move.

What Was Recommended to Congress?

On June 11, 2026, the National Partnership for Women & Families, Equal Rights Advocates, and The 75 Million Project issued legislative recommendations as part of a new issue brief. Their core goal: ensure taxpayer dollars don't fund workplace discrimination.

The recommendations fall into three main areas:

• Codify anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation protections. This includes protecting workers who discuss their pay and adding new safeguards against pay discrimination.
• Require contractors to collect and analyze workforce data. Employers would need to take action to prevent and remedy discrimination they find.
• Strengthen enforcement. The brief calls for giving the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) more enforcement tools and expanding remedies available to workers.

“Contractors should not read the recission of EO 11246 as permission to stop paying attention to their employment data. The advocacy community is already pushing Congress to restore and strengthen many of these requirements, and employers that maintain clean data and thoughtful analysis will be far better prepared for whatever comes next. This kind of analysis is not just an affirmative action exercise. It is a risk management tool for federal contractors,” said Vickie LeNormand, Sr. VP Operations at OutSolve.

Why Does This Matter for Employers?

EO 11246 was no small program. The federal contractors under OFCCP's jurisdiction employed more than 20 percent of the overall workforce. When the order was active, OFCCP's authority to review contractor data and policies strengthened accountability across that entire community.

The stakes remain high. Over 40 percent of women and Black workers report experiencing unfair treatment at work, according to the brief. Nearly half of all LGBTQ+ employees and close to 70 percent of transgender employees report the same. The gender wage gap recently widened two years in a row, with women making just 83% of men; the first time that has happened since recordkeeping began in the 1960s.

"Workplace discrimination continues to be a barrier to opportunity in too many workplaces," said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. Jessica Ramey Stender, policy director and deputy legal director at Equal Rights Advocates, noted that "for 60 years, every presidential administration has maintained these critical protections."

What Compliance Obligations Still Apply?

Even with EO 11246 rescinded, OFCCP retains authority and enforces protections for workers with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and for veterans under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA). Those obligations have not changed or disappeared.

This is the heart of the matter for employers: the rules are in flux, and they will keep changing. A future administration could restore EO 11246 by executive order. Congress could codify it into law. The advocates' brief makes clear that pressure for both is building.

The smartest move is to keep collecting and analyzing your workforce data through changes in administration and policy. Running analyses of hires, promotions, terminations, and compensation helps you identify potential disparities before they become liabilities, and positions you to adapt quickly when new requirements take effect.

How Can Employers Stay Ready?

Data collection and analysis are no longer optional best practices. They are your foundation for navigating whatever comes next during a time of flux. Consider these steps:

• Keep gathering demographic and compensation data across your workforce, even if it isn't currently mandated.
• Run regular analyses of recruitment, hiring, promotion, pay, and termination decisions to surface patterns early.
• Maintain Section 503 and VEVRAA compliance, including VETS-4212 Reporting and any additional reporting obligations.
• Document your good-faith efforts so you can demonstrate compliance if requirements shift.

Proactive data practices protect your organization regardless of which way the regulatory winds blow.

What's Next for Federal Contractor Compliance?

The compliance landscape will continue to evolve. The advocates' brief signals that lawmakers will face growing calls to restore and strengthen federal contractor protections, potentially with even more robust requirements than EO 11246 contained, including expanded OFCCP enforcement tools and worker remedies.

For employers, waiting to see how this plays out is a risk. By treating data collection and analysis as an ongoing discipline rather than a one-time task, you set your organization up for long-term compliance, efficiency, and peace of mind. Stay tuned, stay prepared, and keep your data in order.