Laura A. MitchellBlog Posts
OFCCP Director Craig Leen Participates in Virtual Confirmation Hearing for Inspector General RoleSo, it has begun. The confirmation process for now OFCCP Director Craig Leen‘s move out of OFCCP and into the Inspector General of Office of Personnel Management initiated with a hearing before the full committee of the Department of Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs. In an unexpected turn of events, Director Leen was nominated by... Continue Reading…June 3, 2020 |
OFCCP Receives Approval of Modified Section 503 Disability Self-ID FormOFCCP announced today it has received approval of a modified Self-Identification form for individuals with disabilities. One of the biggest changes is the form is now one page, instead of two. OFCCP requested approval of the modified form from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last year. With this approval, OFCCP is giving contractors until... Continue Reading…May 8, 2020 |
BREAKING NEWS: No EEO-1 Reporting in 2020EEOC has announced there will be no EEO-1 reporting obligation in 2020. In a press release, EEOC acknowledged it will delay the anticipated opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. The announcement stated that [p]ending... Continue Reading…May 7, 2020 |
BREAKING NEWS: No EEO-1 Reporting in 2020EEOC has announced there will be no EEO-1 reporting obligation in 2020. In a press release, EEOC acknowledged it will delay the anticipated opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency. The announcement stated that [p]ending... Continue Reading…May 7, 2020 |
OFCCP Posts Guidance on Upcoming Veteran Focused ReviewsAs anticipated, but with little fanfare, OFCCP has published a VEVRAA Focused Review landing page. Much like the page it created for Section 503 Individuals with Disabilities Focused Reviews, the Agency’s veterans technical assistance page provides FAQs and Best Practices. With the recent approval of the VEVRAA Scheduling Letter and the release of this technical assistance... Continue Reading…April 30, 2020 |
OFCCP Issues Ombuds Service Protocol Detailing the Role of the OmbudsmanIn the third of three new Directives (Directive (DIR) 2020-04), OFCCP has formalized and clarified the role of the Ombudsman in facilitating resolution of conflict between contractors and OFCCP. The Ombuds Service Protocol, among other important clarifications to Directive (DIR) 2018–09, states: The mission of the Ombuds Service is to offer an impartial and independent... Continue Reading…April 21, 2020 |
OFCCP Formalizes a Neutral Mediation Program to Address Discrimination AllegationsIn the second of the three most recent OFCCP Directives, OFCCP has formalized a pre-referral mediation program “to provide the best opportunity for resolving matters before significant time and resources are spent in the enforcement process,” and prior to referring the case for enforcement to the Office of the Solicitor (SOL). Directive (DIR) 2020-03 dictates... Continue Reading…April 20, 2020 |
Another Year, Another Reduced Veteran Hiring BenchmarkUnder 41 CFR 60-300.45, OFCCP must publish the “national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force” for contractors to use as a “hiring benchmark.” OFCCP’s initial veteran hiring benchmark (in 2014) was 7.2% . Every year since, this percentage of available veterans has decreased. This year, the veteran hiring benchmark decreased again – from... Continue Reading…April 20, 2020 |
OFCCP Releases New Directives to Improve the Enforcement Experience, Including a Commitment to Increase Efficiency In AuditsIn case any of you have been wondering, OFCCP is not slowing down amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Agency has been thoughtful and reasonable in extending response times for audits and even granting a National Interest Exemption for new contractors helping respond to the pandemic, OFCCP continues to schedule new audits, now with newly... Continue Reading…April 17, 2020 |
OFCCP Releases New Directives to Improve the Enforcement Experience, Including a Commitment to Increase Efficiency In AuditsIn case any of you have been wondering, OFCCP is not slowing down amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Agency has been thoughtful and reasonable in extending response times for audits and even granting a National Interest Exemption for new contractors helping respond to the pandemic, OFCCP continues to schedule new audits, now with newly... Continue Reading…April 17, 2020 |