President Trump recently revoked the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces executive order. Originally signed by President Obama in 2014, the order required companies with government contracts to comply with 14 labor and civil rights laws.
Advocates of the original order believe it offered important protections to workers and are concerned about how changes could affect employees’ rights.
Why was the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order signed?
The Obama administration designed the order to keep taxpayers’ money from going to corporations breaking labor laws. Under the order, all agencies with government contracts worth $500,000 or more were required to disclose any labor law violations.
What were the goals of the order?
According to the original news release from the White House in 2014, the primary goals of the order were to hold corporations accountable for mistreating workers while protecting employees and corporations that follow the law.
Why was the order revoked?
The Trump administration has not said much since revoking the order. It may be looking to roll back regulations on corporations, something its officials have addressed frequently.
Who is most affected by overturning the order?
One of the concerns is how this change could affect women. The order banned forced arbitration clauses for sexual harassment and discrimination allegations. It also required paycheck transparency. Without these protections, women’s advocacy groups are concerned about fair wages and transparent sexual assault investigations.
It will likely take time before we see the results of overturning this executive order. Like many of the stories we highlight, however, this is definitely one worth following.
