FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 22
FAR Part 22: Application of Labor Laws to Government Acquisitions
The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.
In plain English
FAR Part 22 covers labor laws that apply to government contracts, including wage requirements, overtime, safety, and special rules for construction and service contracts. It matters because contractors must comply with these rules to avoid penalties, and contracting officers must include the right clauses in solicitations and contracts.
Key rules
- Contractors should avoid overtime as a regular practice unless it lowers overall costs to the Government or is necessary for emergency reasons. (22.103-2)
- For construction contracts over $2,000, contractors must pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits as determined by the Department of Labor. (22.403-1, 22.404)
- Contractors must post the applicable wage determination at the work site so workers can easily see it. (22.404-10)
- Contractors must submit payrolls and statements within 7 calendar days after the regular payment date. (22.406-6)
- If a laborer or mechanic is needed in a classification not listed in the wage determination, the contracting officer must authorize an additional classification and rate. (22.406-3)
- Contracting officers must withhold contract payments if they believe a labor standards violation exists or upon request of the Department of Labor. (22.406-9)
- Executive Order 13706 requires paid sick leave for employees of certain Federal contractors. (22.403-5, 22.2105)
Who does what
Contracting officers
- Incorporate appropriate wage determinations in solicitations and contracts.
- Review contractor requests for overtime and approve only when justified.
- Conduct compliance checks and investigations to ensure labor standards are met.
- Withhold contract payments if violations are believed to exist.
Contractors
- Perform contracts without using overtime as a regular practice.
- Pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits as determined by the Department of Labor.
- Post wage determinations at the work site.
- Submit payrolls and statements within 7 days after payment date.
Agencies
- Maintain sound relations with industry and labor.
- Cooperate with Federal and State agencies enforcing labor requirements.
- Ensure full and impartial enforcement of labor standards in construction contracts.
- Cooperate with the Department of Labor in investigations.
In practice
- When bidding on construction contracts over $2,000, check the wage determination to ensure your labor costs are accurate.
- During performance, keep accurate payroll records and submit them on time to avoid withholding of payments.
- If you need to use a labor classification not listed in the wage determination, request approval from the contracting officer before using it.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming overtime is always allowed: the regulation states contractors shall perform contracts without overtime as a regular practice unless lower overall costs result or emergency conditions exist.
- Failing to post the wage determination at the work site: this is a specific requirement that can lead to compliance issues.
- Not submitting payrolls within 7 days: late submission can trigger withholding of contract payments.
Written by AI from this part's codified text (2026-10-04); cited sections are checked against the part. A guide, not legal advice: the regulation text, the solicitation and your contract rule.
Rule changes for FAR Part 22
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Trade Agreements Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2026-03-13 · effective 2026-03-13
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · final rule 2025-08-27 · effective 2025-10-01
- Office of Federal Procurement Policy; Federal Acquisition Regulation: Pay Equity and Transparency in Federal Contracting ↗ · proposed 2025-01-08
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Improving Consistency Between Procurement and Nonprocurement Procedures on Suspension and Debarment ↗ · final rule 2025-01-03 · effective 2025-01-17
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Training To Prevent Human Trafficking for Certain Air Carriers; Correction ↗ · final rule 2024-12-30 · effective 2025-01-03
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Training To Prevent Human Trafficking for Certain Air Carriers ↗ · final rule 2024-12-16 · effective 2025-01-03
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Inflation Adjustment of Acquisition-Related Thresholds ↗ · proposed 2024-11-29 · comments due 2025-01-28
- Federal Acquisition Regulation: Combating Trafficking in Persons-Definition and Agency Responsibilities ↗ · proposed 2024-07-18 · comments due 2024-09-16
Subparts and sections
Subpart 22.1: Basic Labor Policies
- 22.101 Labor relations.
- 22.101-1 General.
- 22.101-2 Contract pricing and administration.
- 22.101-3 Reporting labor disputes.
- 22.101-4 Removal of items from contractors' facilities affected by work stoppages.
- 22.102 Federal and State labor requirements.
- 22.102-1 Policy.
- 22.102-2 Administration.
- 22.103 Overtime.
- 22.103-1 Definition.
- 22.103-2 Policy.
- 22.103-3 Procedures.
- 22.103-4 Approvals.
- 22.103-5 Contract clauses.
Subpart 22.2: Convict Labor
Subpart 22.3: Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act
Subpart 22.4: Labor Standards for Contracts Involving Construction
- 22.400 Scope of subpart.
- 22.401 Definitions.
- 22.402 Applicability.
- 22.403 Statutory, Executive order, and regulatory requirements.
- 22.403-1 Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute.
- 22.403-2 Copeland Act.
- 22.403-3 Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards.
- 22.403-4 Executive Orders 13658 and 14026.
- 22.403-5 Executive Order 13706.
- 22.403-6 Department of Labor regulations involving construction.
- 22.404 Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute wage determinations.
- 22.404-1 Types of wage determinations.
- 22.404-2 General requirements.
- 22.404-3 Procedures for requesting wage determinations.
- 22.404-4 Solicitations issued without wage determinations for the primary site of the work.
- 22.404-5 Expiration of project wage determinations.
- 22.404-6 Modifications of wage determinations.
- 22.404-7 Correction of wage determinations containing clerical errors.
- 22.404-8 Notification of improper wage determination before award.
- 22.404-9 Award of contract without required wage determination.
- 22.404-10 Posting wage determinations and notice.
- 22.404-11 Wage determination appeals.
- 22.404-12 Labor standards for contracts containing construction requirements and option provisions that extend the term of the contract.
- 22.405 [Reserved]
- 22.406 Administration and enforcement.
- 22.406-1 Policy.
- 22.406-2 Wages, fringe benefits, and overtime.
- 22.406-3 Additional classifications.
- 22.406-4 Apprentices and trainees.
- 22.406-5 Subcontracts.
- 22.406-6 Payrolls and statements.
- 22.406-7 Compliance checking.
- 22.406-8 Investigations.
- 22.406-9 Withholding from or suspension of contract payments.
- 22.406-10 Disposition of disputes concerning construction contract labor standards enforcement.
- 22.406-11 Contract terminations.
- 22.406-12 Cooperation with the Department of Labor.
- 22.406-13 Semiannual enforcement reports.
- 22.407 Solicitation provision and contract clauses.
Subpart 22.5: Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects
Subpart 22.6: Contracts for Materials, Supplies, Articles, and Equipment
Subpart 22.8: Equal Employment Opportunity
- 22.800 Scope of subpart.
- 22.801 Definitions.
- 22.802 General.
- 22.803 Responsibilities.
- 22.804 Affirmative action programs.
- 22.804-1 Nonconstruction.
- 22.804-2 Construction.
- 22.805 Procedures.
- 22.806 Inquiries.
- 22.807 Exemptions.
- 22.808 Complaints.
- 22.809 Enforcement.
- 22.810 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
Subpart 22.9: Nondiscrimination Because of Age
Subpart 22.10: Service Contract Labor Standards
- 22.1000 Scope of subpart.
- 22.1001 Definitions.
- 22.1002 Statutory and Executive order requirements.
- 22.1002-1 General.
- 22.1002-2 Wage determinations based on prevailing rates.
- 22.1002-3 Wage determinations based on collective bargaining agreements.
- 22.1002-4 Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage.
- 22.1002-5 Executive Orders 13658 and 14026.
- 22.1002-6 Executive Order 13706.
- 22.1003 Applicability.
- 22.1003-1 General.
- 22.1003-2 Geographical coverage of the Service Contract Labor Standards statute.
- 22.1003-3 Statutory exemptions.
- 22.1003-4 Administrative limitations, variations, tolerances, and exemptions.
- 22.1003-5 Some examples of contracts covered.
- 22.1003-6 Repair distinguished from remanufacturing of equipment.
- 22.1003-7 Questions concerning applicability of the Service Contract Labor Standards statute.
- 22.1004 Department of Labor responsibilities and regulations.
- 22.1005 [Reserved]
- 22.1006 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
- 22.1007 Requirement to obtain wage determinations.
- 22.1008 Procedures for obtaining wage determinations.
- 22.1008-1 Obtaining wage determinations.
- 22.1008-2 Successorship with incumbent contractor collective bargaining agreement.
- 22.1009 Place of performance unknown.
- 22.1009-1 General.
- 22.1009-2 Attempt to identify possible places of performance.
- 22.1009-3 All possible places of performance identified.
- 22.1009-4 All possible places of performance not identified.
- 22.1010 Notification to interested parties under collective bargaining agreements.
- 22.1011 [Reserved]
- 22.1012 Applicability of revisions to wage determinations.
- 22.1012-1 Prevailing wage determinations.
- 22.1012-2 Wage determinations based on collective bargaining agreements.
- 22.1013 Review of wage determination.
- 22.1014 Delay over 60 days in bid opening or commencement of work.
- 22.1015 Discovery of errors by the Department of Labor.
- 22.1016 Statement of equivalent rates for Federal hires.
- 22.1017 [Reserved]
- 22.1018 Notification to contractors and employees.
- 22.1019 Additional classes of service employees.
- 22.1020 Seniority lists.
- 22.1021 Requests for hearing.
- 22.1022 Withholding of contract payments.
- 22.1023 Termination for default.
- 22.1024 Cooperation with the Department of Labor.
- 22.1025 Ineligibility of violators.
- 22.1026 Disputes concerning labor standards.
Subpart 22.11: Professional Employee Compensation
Subpart 22.13: Equal Opportunity for Veterans
- 22.1300 Scope of subpart.
- 22.1301 Definitions.
- 22.1302 Policy.
- 22.1303 Applicability.
- 22.1304 Procedures.
- 22.1305 Waivers.
- 22.1306 Department of Labor notices and reports.
- 22.1307 Collective bargaining agreements.
- 22.1308 Complaint procedures.
- 22.1309 Actions because of noncompliance.
- 22.1310 Solicitation provision and contract clauses.
Subpart 22.14: Employment of Workers with Disabilities
Subpart 22.15: Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor
Subpart 22.16: Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act
Subpart 22.17: Combating Trafficking in Persons
Subpart 22.18: Employment Eligibility Verification
Subpart 22.19: Increasing the Minimum Wage for Contractors
Subpart 22.21: Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors
- 22.2100 Scope of subpart.
- 22.2101 Definitions.
- 22.2102 Policy.
- 22.2103 Applicability.
- 22.2104 Exclusions.
- 22.2105 Paid sick leave for Federal contractors and subcontractors.
- 22.2106 Prohibited acts.
- 22.2107 Waiver of rights.
- 22.2108 Multiemployer plans or other funds, plans, or programs.
- 22.2109 Enforcement of Executive Order 13706 paid sick leave requirements.
- 22.2110 Contract clause.
← Part 19: Small Business ProgramsPart 23: Environment, Sustainable Acquisition, and Material Safety →
All FAR parts
- Part 1 Federal Acquisition Regulations System
- Part 2 Definitions of Words and Terms
- Part 3 Improper Business Practices and Personal Conflicts of Interest
- Part 4 Administrative and Information Matters
- Part 5 Publicizing Contract Actions
- Part 6 Competition Requirements
- Part 7 Acquisition Planning
- Part 8 Required Sources of Supplies and Services
- Part 9 Contractor Qualifications
- Part 10 Market Research
- Part 11 Describing Agency Needs
- Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Products and Commercial Services
- Part 13 Simplified Acquisition Procedures
- Part 14 Sealed Bidding
- Part 15 Contracting by Negotiation
- Part 16 Types of Contracts
- Part 17 Special Contracting Methods
- Part 18 Emergency Acquisitions
- Part 19 Small Business Programs
- Part 22 Application of Labor Laws to Government Acquisitions
- Part 23 Environment, Sustainable Acquisition, and Material Safety
- Part 24 Protection of Privacy and Freedom of Information
- Part 25 Foreign Acquisition
- Part 26 Other Socioeconomic Programs
- Part 27 Patents, Data, and Copyrights
- Part 28 Bonds and Insurance
- Part 29 Taxes
- Part 30 Cost Accounting Standards Administration
- Part 31 Contract Cost Principles and Procedures
- Part 32 Contract Financing
- Part 33 Protests, Disputes, and Appeals
- Part 34 Major System Acquisition
- Part 35 Research and Development Contracting
- Part 36 Construction and Architect-engineer Contracts
- Part 37 Service Contracting
- Part 38 Federal Supply Schedule Contracting
- Part 39 Acquisition of Information Technology
- Part 40 Information Security and Supply Chain Security
- Part 41 Acquisition of Utility Services
- Part 42 Contract Administration and Audit Services
- Part 43 Contract Modifications
- Part 44 Subcontracting Policies and Procedures
- Part 45 Government Property
- Part 46 Quality Assurance
- Part 47 Transportation
- Part 48 Value Engineering
- Part 49 Termination of Contracts
- Part 50 Extraordinary Contractual Actions and the Safety Act
- Part 51 Use of Government Sources by Contractors
- Part 52 Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses
- Part 53 Forms
Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗.