No Rest for the Weary—Government Contractors’ EEO-1 Deadline Delayed Due to COVID-19, but VETS-4212 Filings Still on Schedule

While the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) postponed the 2019 EEO-1 filing deadline due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), which is in charge of the VETS-4212 filings, has taken no such action—which means that government contractors may want to begin preparing promptly for the September 30, 2020, filing deadline. The VETS website contains no updates concerning the 2020 VETS-4212 reports, which are due on September 30, 2020, absent an announcement of a postponement. In response to an online inquiry, the VETS 4212 Service Desk stated that the “VETS-4212 Report is due annually between August 1 and September 30,” and did not discuss any delay in this year’s filing deadline.

Based on the traditional deadline and the lack of any contrary information, government contractors that are required to file the VETS-4212 reports may want to consider beginning preparations now so they will be in position to complete their required filings by the September 30, 2020, deadline. In a twist from prior years, affected government contractors will not be able to rely on recent EEO-1 filings, as the 2019 EEO-1 deadline has been delayed to some point in 2021. While EEO-1 filings are different from VETS-4212 filings, the preparation of EEO-1 data can help with the VETS-4212 process by providing an earlier opportunity to gather and refine workforce data that can be helpful for the later VETS filings. Based on the postponement of the 2019 EEO-1 filing deadline, some government contractors may have more work to do before their 2020 VETS-4212 filings. For government contractors in this position, it will be important to review the data and the filing requirements in advance of the August 1, 2020, opening of the 2020 VETS-4212 filing platform.

Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor and report on updates from the EEOC and VETS on the firm’s Affirmative Action/OFCCP blog. We will also monitor and report on developments with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and will post updates to the firm’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar programs.