One thing the average contractor might find surprising is how much federal contract work of a less esoteric sort awaits far away from the Beltway.

In keeping with his promise of a “year of action” during this year’s State of the Union address, on July 31, President Obama signed an executive order — entitled Fair and Safe Workplaces — that vastly extends the federal government’s enforcement reach over private federal contractors’ employment policies.

If companies with federal contracts or subcontracts are found to be non-compliant in regard to equal employment and affirmative action, they can face mandatory changes in their employment policies as well as bad publicity.

A newly revised standard subcontract for federal work is expected to make it easier for general contractors and subcontractors to perform federal work. The updated ConsensusDocs 752 Federal Subcontract Agreement is designed to address recent changes in federal contracting.

Companies with federal contracts or subcontracts may soon risk losing their contracts if they do not meet quotas to hire more disabled workers. Proposed rule changes would require employers with federal contracts and subcontracts to set a hiring goal that 7 percent of their employees are qualified workers with disabilities.