The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the National Industry Liaison Group recently hosted a panel discussion regarding the agency’s practices for investigating potential compensation discrimination. The NILG is an association of federal contractors focused on collaborating with the OFCCP, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other agencies to facilitate effective communication between t...

OFCCP offers contractors answers to puzzling questions. Wondering about whether to count student workers? Or whether multiple locations can be combined into one Affirmative Action Plan? These are questions that have vexed many contractors, particularly institutions of higher education. On September 5, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs issued a Directive and a set of FAQs to address these issues. D...

Coffee, Check! Keys, Check! On the OFCCP CSAL List? Check Online! Get ready to have a legitimate business-related reason to increase your screen time! On February 22, 2019, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced by email bulletin that the agency will post the next round of Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letters online — instead of mailing the letters, as it has done for years. In fact, as con...

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) plans to recognize contractors that prioritize disability inclusion. Following its recent Directive to develop a Contractor Recognition Program, the OFCCP has proposed to implement an Excellence in Disability Inclusion Award. This award would recognize contractors 'that ensure equal employment opportunity, foster employment opportunities for individuals with di...

On August 24, 2018, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced three new directives in furtherance of its efforts to make the agency more transparent and efficient and to maximize the effectiveness of compliance assistance outreach. This article focuses on two of the three directives: an initiative establishing a recognition program for contractors with 'high-quality and high-performing complianc...

On May 1, 2018, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs issued a Town Hall Action Plan (the 'Plan'). The OFCCP's announcement regarding the Plan describes it as the result of participant feedback and insight provided during three Compliance Assistance Town Halls held in 2017. The Plan states that such feedback and insight 'resulted in the identification of three general areas of focus: training, communicati...

On September 30, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published its Final Rule to implement Executive Order 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. President Obama issued the Executive Order on Labor Day 2015, and the Department of Labor issued a proposed Rule in February 2016. After receiving more than 35,000 comments, the DOL made very few substantive changes from the proposed Rule, and...

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs recently issued its Final Rule on Discrimination on the Basis of Sex. The new regulations rescind the OFCCP’s prior Sex Discrimination Guidelines and give regulatory effect to the latest interpretations of the law by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – including the EEOC’s interpretations of discrimination based on pregnancy and gender identity...

On February 25, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor published its Proposed Rule to implement Executive Order 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. President Obama issued the Executive Order on Labor Day 2015, and the Department of Labor is required to issue final regulations by September 30, 2016. Individuals have 30 days, or until March 28, 2016, to submit comments on this proposal. The a...

Many federal contractors use outside staffing agencies to fulfill the labor demands of their workplaces – whether it is temporary staffing or recruiters for regular employees. While a valid and useful way to staff an organization, this practice can present several challenges for federal contractors who must comply with various recordkeeping requirements. The OFCCP’s regulations do not directly address this practic...