Department of Labor
Orders where directed actors are tied to Department of Labor · 48 in Obama · 173 all terms.
Roles directed
Orders
48 shown · Obama
Continuing To Expand Opportunity for All Young People
This memorandum amends a 2014 Obama-era initiative by renaming the 'My Brother's Keeper' program to the 'Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth,' expanding its membership to include 23 specified agency heads and officials, adding reporting requirements including annual status reports and biennial reviews, and broadening the scope to explicitly include 'underserved youth' alongside boys and young men of color.
Supporting New American Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families
This memorandum establishes an interagency working group to improve coordination among federal agencies in providing immigration, veterans, and military benefits to foreign-born and naturalized service members, veterans, and their families. The group must convene within 10 days, produce a 3-year strategic plan within 30 days, and a detailed implementation plan within 120 days.
Establishing a Community Solutions Council
This executive order establishes a new Community Solutions Council to coordinate federal community investment programs across agencies, replacing two prior Obama-era councils. The Council is led by two Co-Chairs (one from the White House/OMB, one rotating among eight major agencies every four years) and includes 34+ members spanning nearly the entire Cabinet and key White House offices. It builds on existing place-based initiatives like Promise Zones and StrikeForce, with a mandate to foster interagency collaboration, scale evidence-based practices, and center locally led visions in federal policymaking.
Promoting Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
This memorandum establishes a Federal Interagency Reentry Council co-chaired by the Attorney General and the White House Domestic Policy Council Director to coordinate federal efforts reducing recidivism and removing barriers to employment, housing, and reintegration for formerly incarcerated individuals. It directs agencies to review hiring and occupational licensing procedures to avoid automatic disqualification based on criminal records, and requires a federal strategic plan within 100 days.
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force
This memorandum establishes an interagency Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task Force to coordinate implementation of federal parity protections ensuring mental health and substance use disorder coverage is comparable to medical/surgical care. The Task Force, chaired by the Domestic Policy Council Director and comprising nine agency heads, is charged with identifying best practices, addressing guidance gaps, and submitting a public report by October 31, 2016.
Strengthening the Senior Executive Service
This executive order reforms the Senior Executive Service (SES) by creating a PMC Subcommittee to oversee changes including: capping performance award spending at 7.5%, streamlining hiring processes, requiring SES pay to exceed subordinate GS employees, establishing a 15% rotation goal for SES members, and phasing in talent management and succession planning across all agencies by FY 2018.
Continuance or Reestablishment of Certain Federal Advisory Committees
This executive order continues or reestablishes 40 federal advisory committees until September 30, 2017, transferring FACA compliance responsibilities to designated agency heads and updating administrative oversight for the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee.
Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors
This executive order requires federal contractors and subcontractors to provide employees with paid sick leave, accruing at 1 hour per 30 hours worked with a minimum annual cap of 56 hours (7 days). The leave covers personal illness, medical care, family care, and domestic violence-related absences, applying to new contracts solicited or awarded on or after January 1, 2017.
Implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States for 2015-2020
This executive order implements the updated 2015-2020 National HIV/AIDS Strategy, directing federal agencies to develop action plans, coordinate efforts, and report progress on reducing HIV infections, improving care access, and addressing disparities. It establishes a Federal Interagency Working Group and assigns specific responsibilities to lead agencies including HHS, Defense, Justice, and others.
Establishing the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health
This executive order establishes a 15-member advisory board within the Department of Labor to advise on toxic substance exposure and worker health claims, particularly under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. The board is tasked with improving site exposure matrices, medical guidance for claims examiners, evidentiary requirements for lung disease claims, and quality control of industrial hygienist and physician reports.
Expanding Federal Support for Predevelopment Activities for Nonfederal Domestic Infrastructure Assets
This memorandum directs federal agencies to expand support for predevelopment activities—such as planning, feasibility studies, and environmental review—for nonfederal domestic infrastructure projects. It requires specific departments to clarify funding eligibility, develop guidance, and submit implementation plans within 60 days to encourage public-private partnerships and innovative infrastructure investment.
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces
This executive order requires federal contractors and subcontractors with contracts over $500,000 to disclose labor law violations from the past three years during bidding and every six months during performance. It mandates paycheck transparency for workers and restricts mandatory pre-dispute arbitration for certain discrimination and sexual assault/harassment claims on contracts over $1 million. The order creates Labor Compliance Advisor positions at each agency and directs regulatory amendments to implement these requirements.
Further Amendments to Executive Order 11478, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government, and Executive Order 11246, Equal Employment Opportunity
This executive order amends existing federal anti-discrimination rules to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity alongside sexual orientation in federal employment and by federal contractors. It requires the Department of Labor to issue implementing regulations within 90 days.
Advancing Pay Equality Through Compensation Data Collection
This memorandum directs the Secretary of Labor to propose a rule within 120 days requiring federal contractors and subcontractors to submit summary compensation data broken down by sex and race to the Department of Labor. The goal is to improve enforcement of equal pay laws by identifying potential pay disparities and directing enforcement resources more efficiently.
Non-Retaliation for Disclosure of Compensation Information
This executive order amends Executive Order 11246 to prohibit federal contractors from retaliating against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose compensation information. The order aims to help detect and remediate compensation discrimination while promoting efficiency in federal contracting. The Department of Labor must propose implementing regulations within 160 days.
Updating and Modernizing Overtime Regulations
President Obama directed the Secretary of Labor to propose revisions to modernize overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, focusing on updating 'white collar' exemptions that had not kept pace with the modern economy. The directive aimed to expand overtime protections to millions of workers by reconsidering eligibility thresholds and simplifying rules.
Creating and Expanding Ladders of Opportunity for Boys and Young Men of Color
President Obama established the My Brother's Keeper Task Force, an interagency initiative chaired by the Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary with the Deputy Secretary of Education as Executive Director, to improve life outcomes for boys and young men of color through better coordination of federal programs, data sharing, and public-private partnerships. The Task Force is directed to create assessment tools, evaluate federal policy impacts, and report back with recommendations within 90 days and a status report within one year.
Establishing a Minimum Wage for Contractors
This executive order establishes a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour for workers on new federal contracts and subcontracts, effective January 1, 2015, with annual inflation adjustments beginning January 1, 2016. It also sets a phased minimum cash wage for tipped workers reaching 70% of the standard minimum wage. The order requires implementing regulations by October 1, 2014, and applies to contracts solicited on or after January 1, 2015.
Job-Driven Training for Workers
This memorandum directs the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to develop within 180 days an action plan to reform federal workforce and training programs to be more "job-driven," emphasizing employer engagement, skills matching, accountability for employment outcomes, and better alignment across education and training systems. The Vice President is tasked with leading a government-wide review of relevant federal programs.
Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change
This executive order directs federal agencies to integrate climate change preparedness and resilience into their operations, programs, and investments. It establishes a new interagency Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, creates a State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force, mandates updated Agency Adaptation Plans, and requires modernization of federal programs to remove barriers to climate-resilient investment.
Continuance Of Certain Federal Advisory Committees
This executive order extends 26 federal advisory committees until September 30, 2015, and makes technical amendments to several prior executive orders governing the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, President's Management Advisory Board, President's Global Development Council, and President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It also delegates presidential functions under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to designated agency heads.
Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security
This executive order establishes an interagency working group to improve coordination among federal agencies, state/local/tribal partners, and private industry on chemical facility safety and security. It mandates multiple assessments, pilot programs, and regulatory reviews to modernize risk management practices, enhance information sharing, and reduce duplicative reporting requirements following chemical facility tragedies.
Expanding National Service Through Partnerships to Advance Government Priorities
This memorandum establishes an interagency Task Force on Expanding National Service, co-chaired by the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council. It directs federal agencies to develop partnerships with CNCS to expand national service and volunteer opportunities aligned with the six focus areas of the Serve America Act, and requires specific reports and guidance within set timeframes.
Accelerating Improvements in HIV Prevention and Care in the United States Through the HIV Care Continuum Initiative
This executive order establishes the HIV Care Continuum Initiative and a supporting interagency Working Group to coordinate federal efforts to improve HIV testing, linkage to care, treatment, and viral suppression. It directs agencies to prioritize addressing gaps along the HIV care continuum and requires recommendations within 180 days, with annual progress reports thereafter.
Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council
This executive order creates the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council and its Steering Committee to institutionalize collaboration between federal field offices and local partners—including state/local/tribal governments, private sector, and nonprofits—to address homeland security challenges ranging from disaster response to terrorism prevention. The Council advises on priorities, promotes best practices, and convenes annually, while the Steering Committee sets its scope, selects members, and reports to the President yearly.
Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts
This executive order strengthens anti-trafficking rules for federal contractors and subcontractors by amending procurement regulations. It prohibits specific trafficking-related activities like fraudulent recruitment, charging recruitment fees, and confiscating identity documents; requires compliance plans for large overseas contracts; and mandates training and interagency coordination to enforce zero-tolerance policies.
Ensuring the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Protections
This memorandum directs federal agencies to strengthen compliance with USERRA, which protects service members from employment discrimination and ensures their reemployment rights. It establishes an interagency working group, mandates new guidance on data collection and best practices, and sets specific deadlines for reporting and implementation.
Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal Workforce
This memorandum directs federal agencies to develop policies addressing domestic violence in the federal workforce. It requires OPM to issue government-wide guidance within 240 days, and agencies to create or update their own policies within specific timelines after that guidance is issued.
National Defense Resources Preparedness
This executive order delegates authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to various cabinet secretaries for prioritizing and allocating resources (food, energy, health, transportation, water, and other materials) in support of national defense. It establishes frameworks for loan guarantees, industrial base expansion, voluntary agreements, a National Defense Executive Reserve, and labor coordination during emergencies, while revoking and replacing Executive Order 12919 from 1994.
Improving American Indian and Alaska Native Educational Opportunities and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities
This executive order establishes the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Education and Interior, to improve educational outcomes for AI/AN students across all educational settings. It mandates interagency coordination, requires a Memorandum of Understanding between Education and Interior within 120 days, and directs federal agencies to develop four-year implementation plans with annual performance reporting.
Coordinating Policies on Automotive Communities and Workers
This executive order establishes a coordinated federal response to support automotive communities and workers recovering from the 2008-2009 industry collapse. It assigns the Secretary of Labor responsibility for coordinating interagency policies, advising the President on legislation, and conducting outreach to stakeholders. The order revokes the prior 2009 auto communities EO (13509), reflecting the shift from crisis response to sustained recovery coordination.
Establishment of the SelectUSA Initiative
This executive order establishes SelectUSA, a Department of Commerce-based initiative to coordinate federal efforts to attract and retain domestic and foreign business investment in the United States. It creates a Federal Interagency Investment Working Group spanning nearly every cabinet department and major economic agency to promote the U.S. as a business location, serve as an investment ombudsman, and provide information to investors.
Establishing a Task Force on Skills for America's Future
This memorandum establishes an interagency Task Force on Skills for America's Future, co-chaired by the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and two White House policy assistants, to develop recommendations for improving workforce training partnerships between community colleges, businesses, labor unions, and other stakeholders. The Task Force is charged with identifying scalable approaches to career training, stackable credentials, and public-private partnerships, but has no dedicated funding or enforcement authority beyond voluntary agency coordination.
Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals With Disabilities
This executive order directs federal agencies to increase recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities, with specific numerical goals and mandatory training programs. It revives implementation of a 2000 Clinton-era hiring target of 100,000 additional workers with disabilities over 5 years, requires agency-specific plans with performance targets, and mandates improvements to return-to-work programs for injured federal employees.
The Presidential POWER Initiative: Protecting Our Workers and Ensuring Reemployment
This memorandum establishes the 4-year POWER Initiative (fiscal years 2011-2014) to improve federal workplace safety and health by setting aggressive performance targets for reducing injuries and illnesses, speeding workers' compensation claims, and accelerating return-to-work for injured federal civilian employees. The Secretary of Labor is directed to lead the initiative, measure government-wide and agency-level performance, and report annually to the President.
Establishing the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council
This executive order establishes the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council within HHS, chaired by the Surgeon General, to coordinate federal prevention and wellness efforts. It mandates development of a national health strategy and requires annual reports to Congress through 2015 on progress toward disease prevention goals.
Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development
President Obama established an interagency task force co-chaired by the Secretary of Commerce and NASA Administrator to develop an economic development action plan for Florida's Space Coast and other aerospace communities affected by the end of the Space Shuttle program. The task force must submit a comprehensive plan by August 15, 2010, recommending how to invest $40 million in transition assistance funding, and will terminate after 3 years unless extended.
Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development
This executive order establishes an Interagency Task Force on Veterans Small Business Development within the Small Business Administration to coordinate federal efforts to improve capital access, contracting opportunities, and business development support for small businesses owned by veterans and service-disabled veterans. The Task Force includes representatives from seven federal agencies and four veterans' organizations, and must report annually to the President on its activities and proposals.
A 21st Century Strategy for America's Great Outdoors
This memorandum establishes the America's Great Outdoors Initiative, led by Interior, Agriculture, EPA, and CEQ, to reconnect Americans—especially children—with nature through community-based conservation, public-private partnerships, and interagency coordination. It mandates listening sessions across the country and requires three reports: an initial strategy report by November 15, 2010, and annual progress reports by September 30, 2011 and 2012.
A Comprehensive Federal Strategy on Carbon Capture and Storage
This memorandum establishes an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage co-chaired by DOE and EPA to develop a plan within 180 days to overcome barriers to deploying CCS technology. It aims to bring 5-10 commercial demonstration projects online by 2016, with the goal of widespread cost-effective CCS deployment within 10 years.
Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government
This executive order establishes a government-wide initiative to increase veteran hiring in the federal workforce by creating an interagency Council on Veterans Employment, requiring agencies to develop operational plans and designate veterans employment offices, and mandating training for HR personnel and hiring managers on veterans' preferences and special hiring authorities.
Continuance of Certain Federal Advisory Committees
This executive order continues 15 federal advisory committees for two years until September 30, 2011, superseding a prior Bush administration order. It also delegates presidential functions under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to the heads of designated departments and agencies.
Establishing a White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers
This executive order creates a White House Council on Automotive Communities and Workers to coordinate federal assistance for areas hit hard by auto industry job losses. The council includes cabinet secretaries and senior officials across multiple agencies, and is tasked with aligning federal programs to support automotive workers and communities. It automatically terminates after two years unless extended by the President.
Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs
This executive order creates the White House Office of Urban Affairs within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate federal urban policy across departments and agencies. The Office is tasked with developing a comprehensive urban policy agenda, ensuring federal spending in urban areas is effective, and engaging with state/local officials and private stakeholders.
Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects
This executive order encourages federal agencies to consider requiring Project Labor Agreements (PLAs)—pre-hire collective bargaining agreements with labor unions—for large-scale federal construction projects costing $25 million or more. It revokes two Bush-era executive orders that had restricted PLA requirements, and mandates regulatory implementation within 120 days and a broader policy review within 180 days.
White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families
President Obama established a White House Task Force on Middle-Class Working Families, chaired by Vice President Biden, to recommend policies on education, work-family balance, labor standards, income protection, and retirement security. The Task Force includes cabinet secretaries and senior White House economic advisors, with annual public reports required starting one year from signing.
Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts
This executive order requires federal service contractors and their subcontractors to offer a right of first refusal of employment to qualified non-managerial employees from predecessor contracts when a successor contract is awarded for the same or similar services at the same location. The order aims to reduce service disruption and maintain an experienced workforce by preventing displacement of qualified workers during contract transitions.
Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws
This executive order requires federal contractors and subcontractors to post notices informing employees of their rights under federal labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act. It revokes the prior Bush administration's Executive Order 13201 and delegates rulemaking authority to the Secretary of Labor to prescribe the specific notice requirements.