Does U.S. FAR “period of performance” include employees’ off-the-clock time?

Question

U.S. FAR 52.222-50 (b)(2) states:

Contractors, contractor employees, and their agents shall not … Procure commercial sex acts during the period of performance of the contract;

My naive reading of this law is that it broadly prohibits employees from procuring commercial sex acts while their employer holds any federal contract — even if the procurement would occur:

• on the employee's own time, in their capacity as a private person, and
• while the employee is not on work-related travel, and
• otherwise legally in the jurisdiction of the act, and
• otherwise legally in the jurisdiction the employee is domiciled in.

— which seems a bit absurd considering that FAR 52.222-50 is supposed to prevent slave labor from being used to build jets and tanks.

Am I misreading this, does it really mean that, or has this never been clarified either way?

Answer 1

I took this training just the other day. (DoD GS civilian). 'Combatting Trafficking in Persons'

It specifically calls out hiring sex workers in a country where it would otherwise be legal for anyone else. "You may not..."

On duty or off duty, makes no difference.

This is for active duty military, govt civilians, and contractors.