FAR 22.102-2—Administration.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 22.102-2 explains how agencies and contracting officers should use Department of Labor resources to support contractor labor needs and how to coordinate with DOL enforcement offices for wage-and-hour and safety matters. It covers agency cooperation with the DOL Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) and local employment offices, including use of local labor market recruitment and the Federal-State employment clearance system for staffing new or expanding facilities. It also identifies the Department of Labor’s role in administering and enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Wage and Hour Division’s role in enforcing several labor statutes that commonly arise in federal contracting: construction wage rate requirements, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards, the Copeland Act, the Materials, Supplies, Articles, and Equipment statute over $10,000, and the Service Contract Labor Standards. In practice, this section tells agencies to help contractors access public employment services and tells contracting officers when to involve DOL regional offices under the applicable labor subparts. The section exists to promote efficient hiring, support workforce planning, and ensure that labor standards and safety requirements are administered consistently through the proper DOL channels.
Key Rules
Use DOLETA for hiring support
Agencies must cooperate with and encourage contractors to use DOLETA and its affiliated local offices to meet labor requirements. This includes recruitment for new or expanding facilities and for workers across occupations and skill levels.
Use local labor market resources
Contractors may recruit from local labor market areas or through the Federal-State employment clearance system. The rule is intended to help match contractor labor needs with available workers efficiently.
State employment offices are nationwide
Local State employment offices operate throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Agencies should treat these offices as a practical, accessible source of recruitment assistance and labor-market information.
Coordinate manpower planning
Working with State employment service offices supports the national effort to assess manpower requirements and resources at both national and local levels. This is not just a hiring tool; it also supports broader workforce planning.
DOL enforces safety and wage laws
The Department of Labor is responsible for administering and enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Wage and Hour Division enforces several wage-and-hour statutes relevant to federal contracts. These include construction wage requirements, contract work hours and safety standards, the Copeland Act, certain supply/equipment contracts over $10,000, and the Service Contract Labor Standards.
Contact Wage and Hour when required
Contracting officers should contact the Wage and Hour Division’s regional offices when the applicable labor subparts require it, unless another procedure is specifically stated. The regional office addresses are found in 29 CFR part 1, Appendix B.
Responsibilities
Agencies
Cooperate with DOLETA and encourage contractors to use it to the fullest extent practicable. Support use of local employment offices and the Federal-State employment clearance system as part of contractor labor sourcing and workforce planning.
Contractors
Use DOLETA and local State employment offices when recruiting labor, especially for new or expanding facilities. Consider local labor market sources and the Federal-State clearance system to fill positions across skill levels and occupations.
Contracting Officers
Know when the applicable FAR labor subparts require contact with the DOL Wage and Hour Division regional offices and make that contact as directed. Coordinate labor compliance issues through the proper DOL channels rather than handling them informally.
Department of Labor
Administer and enforce OSHA and the listed wage-and-hour statutes through the appropriate DOL components, including the Wage and Hour Division and its regional offices. Provide recruitment assistance through DOLETA and local employment offices.
State Employment Service Offices
Provide recruitment assistance to contractors and contribute to national and local manpower assessment by helping match labor supply with contractor demand.
Practical Implications
Contractors should not overlook public employment services when staffing federal contract work; DOLETA and local offices can be a practical source of candidates, especially for large or fast-growing labor needs.
Contracting officers need to know which labor statute is in play, because the required DOL contact depends on the subpart governing the issue. Missing that coordination step can delay administration or compliance actions.
This section is as much about workforce planning as it is about compliance. Agencies that actively coordinate with employment offices can improve labor availability and reduce hiring bottlenecks.
The listed wage-and-hour statutes are common sources of compliance issues on construction, service, and supply contracts, so contractors should expect DOL involvement when those requirements apply.
A common pitfall is assuming labor recruitment assistance and labor-law enforcement are the same thing. DOLETA and State employment offices help with hiring, while the Wage and Hour Division and OSHA handle enforcement and compliance oversight.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Agencies shall cooperate with, and encourage contractors to use to the fullest extent practicable, the DOL Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA) at http://www.doleta.gov , and its affiliated local offices in meeting contractors' labor requirements. These requirements may be to staff new or expanding plant facilities, including requirements for workers in all occupations and skills from local labor market areas or through the Federal-State employment clearance system. (b) Local State employment offices are operated throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to providing recruitment assistance to contractors, cooperation with the local State Employment Service offices will further the national program of maintaining continuous assessment of manpower requirements and resources on a national and local basis. (c) (1) The U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is responsible for administration and enforcement of numerous wage and hour statutes including- (i) 40 U.S.C. chapter 31 , subchapter IV, Wage Rate Requirements (Construction); (ii) 40 U.S.C. chapter 37 , Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards; (iii) The Copeland Act ( 18 U.S.C. 874 and 40 U.S.C. 3145 ); (iv) 41 U.S.C. chapter 65 , Contracts for Materials, Supplies, Articles, and Equipment Exceeding $10,000; (v) 41 U.S.C. chapter 67 , Service Contract Labor Standards. (2) Contracting officers should contact the Wage and Hour Division’s regional offices when required by the subparts relating to these statutes unless otherwise specified. Addresses for these offices may be found at 29 CFR 1, Appendix B.