Government Contractor Compliance & Regulatory Update

OFCCP Acting Director Leen Announces New Contractor Certification Program

By Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner on Posted in OFCCP

At his closing remarks at the National Industry Liaison Group’s 2018 annual conference, Acting OFCCP Director Craig Leen announced that the OFCCP is working on a contractor certification program. Although light on details, Acting Director Leen forecast a system where contractors that did not certify compliance with their affirmative action obligations would be targeted for compliance evaluations.

Key Takeaway: For government contractors that take their compliance obligations seriously, a certification program that would reduce compliance evaluations should be a welcome development. OFCCP has noted in the past that only a very small percentage – as low as 2% – of compliance evaluations end in a finding of discrimination. A program that permits OFCCP to focus on contractors who are most likely not in compliance would not only spare contractors who work hard to achieve compliance from unnecessary and burdensome compliance evaluations, it would also permit OFCCP to be more effective.

As with most things, the devil will be in the details. We will continue to monitor this potential new program and report on any new developments.

Tags: OFCCP

Breaking News: OFCCP Issues New Directive Instructing Staff to Respect Contractors’ Religious Beliefs in Enforcing Executive Order 11246

By Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner on Posted in OFCCP

On August 10, 2018, OFCCP Acting Director Craig Leen issued Directive 2018-03  (the “Directive”), the purpose of which is to “incorporate recent developments in the law regarding religion-exercising organizations and individuals.”

Most of the Directive addresses OFCCP’s regulations regarding protection from discrimination on the basis of religion and recent Executive Orders and court decisions that address the federal government’s “duty to protect religious exercise – and not to impede it. The practical import of the Directive comes at the end, where it instructs OFCCP staff “to take these legal developments into account in all their relevant activities, including when providing compliance assistance, processing complaints, and enforcing the requirements of E.O. 11246.” The Directive also anticipates future rulemaking on this topic.

Key Takeaway: When President Trump was sworn into office, many worried that his Administration would undo President Obama’s amendment of E.O. 11246  to include gender identity and sexual orientation as protected characteristics. On January 31, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that E.O. 11246, as amended by E.O. 11478, would “remain intact .” As we reported at the time , the statement followed press reports that the Trump Administration was contemplating reversing the expansion or adding religious freedom provisions.

The new Directive appears aimed at addressing the concerns of religious organizations that contract with the federal government with the expansion of E.O. 11246 to include sexual orientation and gender identity protections.

Tags: OFCCP

Breaking News: OFCCP Issues New Directive Ordering Focused Compliance Evaluations

By Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner on Posted in OFCCP

As we previously reported , Acting OFCCP Director Craig Leen, made news at the National Industry Liaison Group annual conference last week when he announced that OFCCP would begin focused reviews of contractors. Just one week later, on August 10, 2018, OFCCP issued Directive 2018-04  (the “Directive”), directing that a portion of future scheduling lists include focused reviews aimed at each of the three authorities OFCCP enforces: Executive Order 11246 (the “EO”) (equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin); Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 503”) (equal employment for individuals with disabilities), and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (“VEVRAA”) (equal employment for protected veterans).

The Directive notes that focused reviews are part of its initiative to “ensure compliance with equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination regulations.” Per the Directive, starting in Fiscal Year 2019, a portion of each year’s compliance evaluation scheduling lists will include focused reviews as to each of the EO, Section 503, and VEVRAA. The Directive anticipates that for Section 503 focused reviews, compliance officers would:

  • Review policies and practice related solely to Section 503 compliance;
  • Interview managers responsible for equal employment opportunity and Section 503 compliance;
  • Interview employees impacted by the contractor’s Section 503 policies; and
  • Evaluate hiring and compensation data, as well as handling of accommodation requests.

The Directive anticipates a “similar” approach would be used for EO and VEVRAA focused reviews.

In good news for contractors, OFCCP staff will “develop a standard protocol for conducting the focused reviews” and make the protocols available to the pubic prior to the issuance of the next scheduling list. In addition, OFCCP will develop training for both OFCCP staff and contractors “to provide guidance as to the focused reviews.”

Key Takeaways. Contractors must ensure that they are in compliance with all aspects of OFCCP regulatory requirements and be prepared for compliance evaluations that scrutinize particular components of their compliance efforts. In the past, compliance evaluations tended to focus on equal employment opportunities and discrimination on the basis of race and sex and not on the other protected classes under OFCCP jurisdiction. That is clearly no longer the case.

Even if contractors are not chosen for a focused review, they can expect that OFCCP will give greater focus to compliance with OFCCP disability and protected veterans discrimination and affirmative action requirements in any compliance evaluation.

For this reason, contractors are well advised to ensure, with respect to Section 503 compliance, that (1) they are tracking and are undertaking affirmative efforts to achieve the 7% benchmark; (2) they have adopted and implemented effective disability accommodation and discrimination policies; (3) they are performing annual reviews of job requirements; (4) they are undertaking and documenting the interactive process for accommodating employees with disabilities; and (5) their facilities comply with ADA accessibility requirements.

With respect to VEVRAA compliance, contractors should ensure that they, among other requirements, are (1) tracking and are undertaking affirmative efforts to achieve the hiring benchmark for protected veterans; (2) inviting candidates, applicants and new-hires to self-identify as protected veterans; (3) updating their equal opportunity clause to include protected veterans; and (4) listing their employment openings with the appropriate state or local employment service delivery system.

 

Tags: OFCCP

Breaking News From The ILG Conference: OFCCP To Bring Back Focused Section 503 Reviews

By Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner on Posted in OFCCP

On August 2, 2018, during an impassioned speech at the National Industry Liaison Group’s annual conference in Anaheim, California, OFCCP Acting Director Craig Leen announced that the agency will bring back “focused reviews” looking at contractors’ Section 503 compliance.

He made his remarks during the “Leading Practices in Disability Inclusion” break out session at the conference, at which he shared his personal experiences and why he is so committed to eliminating disability discrimination. He explained that the focused review would include an onsite visit and interviews with managers and the contractor’s ADA coordinators. Acting Director Leen stated he would also like the reviews to look at hiring practices, the contractor’s efforts to meet the 7% benchmark, and how the contractor handles requests for reasonable accommodations.

To emphasize his point, Acting Director Leen stated that “compliance with Section 503 is a priority of” OFCCP, and this focus has the support of Secretary of Labor Acosta.

Key Takeaway. Compliance with Section 503 and its implementing regulations is now clearly a focus of OFCCP. Even if contractors are not chosen for a focused review, they can expect that compliance with OFCCP’s disability discrimination and affirmative action requirements will be a focus of any compliance evaluation. For this reason, contractors are well advised to ensure that (1) they are tracking and are undertaking affirmative efforts to achieve the 7% benchmark; (2) they have adopted and implemented effective disability accommodation and discrimination policies; (3) they are performing annual reviews of job requirements; (4) they are undertaking and documenting the interactive process for accommodating employees with disabilities; and (5) their facilities comply with ADA accessibility requirements.

Tags: OFCCP

OFCCP Issues “What Contractors Can Expect” Guidance

By Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner on Posted in OFCCP

On August 2, 2018, OFCCP issued a new publication entitled “What Contractors Can Expect .” The publication coincided with OFCCP Acting Director Craig Leen’s well-received presentation at the National Industry Liason Group’s national conference in Anaheim, California, where Proskauer partners Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner are in attendance.

OFCCP had promised the “What Contractors Can Expect” publication in its May 1, 2018 Town Hall Action Plan . The document states that it provides “the general expectations that often guide interactions between federal contractors and OFCCP.” Although the document uses the term “expectations” as opposed to “rules” or “rights,” the publication clearly aims to address contractors’ concerns about dealing with the agency and foster better relations between OFCCP and the contractor community. The expectations include:

  • Access to Accurate Compliance Assistance Material. OFCCP states that it is “committed to providing clear, concise, and practical compliance assistance” in the form of “technical assistance guides, factsheets and brochures, ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ or FAQs, guidance documents, directives, webinars, and email.”
  • Timely Responses to Compliance Assistance Questions. OFCCP, as part of its effort to increase the compliance assistance part of its mission, is committed to providing more timely responses to inquiries. It states that “[c]ontractors can typically expect a reply to Help Desk inquiries and emailed compliance assistance questions within 3-4 business days.” Where more time is needed, OFCCP provides that contractors “can expect that OFCCP will provide notice of the delay and assurance that OFCCP’s reply, when provided, is responsive to the issues raised.”
  • Opportunities to Provide Meaningful Feedback and to Collaborate. OFCCP states that contractors “can expect OFCCP to provide them with opportunities to submit feedback on the quality and quantity of the agency’s compliance assistance offerings and, periodically, on their experiences during their most recent compliance evaluations.” OFCCP also indicates that it will engage with contractors “on the development of new compliance assistance material, contractor training, and other matters that may support contractor compliance.” Consistent with this expectation, Ms. Bertram was consulted during the conference by a member of OFCCP’s National Office regarding Ms. Bertram’s experiences working with the member’s program and how the program’s performance could be improved.
  • Professional Conduct by OFCCP’s Compliance Staff. In response to criticism about what many contractors perceive to be heavy-handed tactics, OFCCP makes clear that in interacting with the agency contractors “can expect to receive prompt, courteous, and accurate information during compliance evaluations and complaint investigations.” However, OFCCP notes that professional courtesy is a two way street, as “the perceived quality of an engagement with OFCCP staff can be influenced by several factors, including the specificity and accuracy of the information contractors provide, and the timeliness and thoroughness of their responses to document production requests during compliance evaluations and complaint investigations.”
  • Neutral Scheduling of Compliance Evaluations. OFCCP states that contractors “can expect OFCCP to use a neutral selection system to identify contractors for compliance evaluations.” Addressing concerns raised at its recent town hall meetings, OFCCP states that “Individual contractors are never ‘targeted’ though OFCCP may focus its resources on particular industries or sectors, geographic regions, or types of employment practices,” and that “OFCCP never schedules a contractor for a compliance evaluation because that contractor sought compliance assistance.”
  • Reasonable Opportunity to Discuss Compliance Evaluation Concerns. Responding to concerns about lack of transparency during compliance evaluations, OFCCP states that contractors “can expect to have a reasonable opportunity to discuss issues that may affect the progress or results of their compliance evaluation or complaint investigation.” OFCCP encourages these discussions to take place with the relevant compliance officer in the first instance, but “recognizes that some issues may warrant elevating a discussion to a higher level with management in the district office and then, if necessary, the regional office,” and even the national office. OFCCP believes that such interactions “can remove uncertainty and clarify areas of misunderstanding.”
  • Timely and Efficient Progress of Compliance Evaluations. Among other things, OFCCP provides that contractors should expect that when asked for information they will be provided with “reasonable production timelines … as determined in light of all relevant facts and circumstances.” OFCCP also commits to providing “clear explanations of OFCCP’s compliance evaluation processes and periodic status or progress updates as evaluations progress.” The agency does note that its ability to conduct timely and efficient compliance evaluations is “greatly influenced by the level of cooperation OFCCP receives, and the quantity, quality, and timeliness of the information that contractors provide.”
  • Confidentiality. OFCCP states that contractors “can expect that the information they provide during a compliance evaluation will be kept confidential. OFCCP keeps this contractor information, including but not limited to personnel records and salary data, confidential to the maximum extent allowed by law.”
Tags: OFCCP

OFCCP Director Resigns

By Connie Bertram, Guy Brenner and Alex Weinstein on Posted in OFCCP

Ondray T. Harris, Director of the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”), resigned on July 27, 2018. No public explanation for his resignation has been provided, which came only eight months after he assumed the position.

Reports indicate that Craig Leen, Senior Advisor to the OFCCP, will step into the role as Acting Director of the agency. On July 25, 2018, OFCCP’s updated its website’s personnel page to refer to Mr. Leen as its “Deputy Director.” Both Mr. Harris and Mr. Leen are credited with taking steps to improve relationships between the OFCCP and the federal government contracting community, and Mr. Harris’ resignation is not expected to lead to a change in this new approach.

The announcement came just over one week before Mr. Harris was slated to speak about the OFCCP at the National Industry Liaison Group’s annual conference. On July 27, 2018, the NILG announced that Mr. Leen would replace Mr. Harris as the keynote speaker at the event.

Tags: OFCCP

Proskauer Publishes Article on Federal and State Laws Addressing the #MeToo Movement

By Connie Bertram on Posted in OFCCP

Connie Bertram published an article in the June issue of OFCCP Digest titled “Federal Tax Reforms and Proposed State Laws Try to Address the Concerns Raised by the #MeToo Movement.” The article focuses on the more than 125 bills that have been introduced in 2018 aimed at eliminating sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. As discussed in more detail in the article, federal, state, and local efforts to discourage – or even prohibit – settlement agreement provisions or arbitration agreements limiting an employee’s right to publicly disclose and/or pursue sexual misconduct claims are changing the employment landscape in important ways and quickly gaining momentum nationwide.

Tags: employee rights, OFCCP, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections

OFCCP Issues “Town Hall Action Plan” Announcing Three Initiatives

By Guy Brenner and Connie Bertram on Posted in OFCCP

On May 1, 2018, the OFCCP issued a Town Hall Action Plan (the “Plan”).  The Plan is the result of OFCCP’s “town hall meetings” held in late 2017 and early 2018 , which were conducted in order to address the findings of the Government Accounting Office’s September 2016 review of the agency .  The Plan identifies “three general areas of focus:  training, communication, and trust,” which OFCCP plans to achieve through three initiatives:  (1) reviewing and enhancing contractor compliance assistance materials; (2) assessing and improving the quality of contractor and compliance officer training and education; and (3) increasing transparency and communication with the contractor community.

A review of the initiatives show that they are aimed at standardizing OFCCP processes, providing useful compliance tools to contractors, and improving transparency in the compliance evaluation process. Details on each are summarized below.

Review and Enhance Contractor Compliance Assistance

The Plan recognizes that OFCCP’s existing technical assistance guides are “outdated.” As such, OFCCP plans to create “three comprehensive technical guides” to replace its outdated resources:  a Supply & Service Technical Assistance Guide; a Construction Technical Assistance Guide; and an Academic Institutions Technical Assistance Guide.  OFCCP intends for the new guides to be user-friendly compliance resources for contractor personnel.

In addition, as part of this initiative, OFCCP will be redesigning its webpage, updating the New and Small Federal Contractors Assistance Guide, developing new infographics on the internet applicant definition, recordkeeping, and posting and notice requirements, and updating the “OFCCP At A Glance” brochure.

Finally, OFCCP will develop a recognition program to “recognize publicly one or more sound and successful equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination compliance programs.”

Assess and Improve the Quality of Contractor and Compliance Officer Training and Education

The Plan implicitly recognizes what has been a common criticism of OFCCP – inconsistent enforcement by OFCCP’s compliance officers. OFCCP announced a plan to improve the quality of compliance officer training and education.  This initiative will include a review of the existing training program, assessing current OFCCP’s staff members’ skills and addressing gaps, standardizing training materials, adopting a competency model that clearly identifies the skills, knowledge and abilities all compliance officers should possess, and creating and implementing a plan of action for seeking third party accreditation for OFCCP’s national office training program.

OFCCP notes that by improving training, contractors should see improved compliance assistance from the agency. In addition, OFCCP anticipates that this initiative will result in an improvement in the quality and timeliness of compliance evaluations.

Increase Transparency and Communication

OFCCP noted that a “common thread” in the town hall meetings was contractors’ desire to have written expectations during compliance evaluations to ensure transparency and consistency. OFCCP apparently agrees, and will create a written guide to the compliance evaluation process for contractors.  OFCCP states that such a document will “enhance communications between contractors and OFCCP, improve transparency in OFCCP’s work, and begin to address trust issues.”

As part of this initiative, OFCCP will develop policy guidance that will increase transparency around issues such as OFCCP’s identification of indicators of violations, the basis for its requests for supplemental data, and how to conduct a “meaningful compensation self-assessment.” OFCCP will also develop a document titled “What Contractors Can Expect,” which it characterizes as a “Bill of Rights” styled document providing contractors with OFCCP principles contractors can “expect to exist during an engagement with OFCCP.”  The document will address matters such as timeliness, accuracy, communication, confidentiality, and professionalism.

The Plan states that the desire for increased transparency and communication led the agency to require last month  that Predetermination Notices (“PDNs”) be issued to contractors before any Notices of Violation may be issued.  In describing the new policy, the Plan emphasizes that it is also intended to ensure uniformity, noting that “[r]egional discretion is no longer permitted and the national office will review all PDNs to ensure appropriate consistency and uniformity.”

Finally, OFCCP promises to use online tools to increase communication with contractors.

Other Projects

The Plan also shares that the OFCCP is contemplating reviving its ombudsman program. Such a program would provide the agency with an impartial and independent perspective on issues such as communication and trust issues.

The Plan also notes that OFCCP will encourage the use of apprenticeship programs by contractors to “create a pipeline of diverse and qualified talent.” The Plan notes that such programs can not only address contractors’ outreach, recruitment and equal employment opportunity commitments, but can also address the need to train skilled workers.  The Plan does not state how the agency will encourage the use of apprenticeship programs.

Key Takeaways

More than a year into the Trump Administration, the Plan provides more evidence that the OFCCP is planning significant changes. Although the Plan does not itself represent any concrete change, it does reflect that the OFCCP is interested in improving relations with government contractors.  By producing a list of key deliverables developed out of the town hall meetings, OFCCP has signaled that it is listening to contractor concerns and plans to act upon them.

The Plan provides contractors with a way to gauge whether this new approach represents just talk or true change. Although the devil is in the details, if the Plan is realized, contractors should experience more transparency and fairness in their interactions with OFCCP, and more helpful compliance guidance.

OFCCP Announces 2018 Veteran Hiring Benchmark

By Connie Bertram, Guy Brenner and Emilie Adams on Posted in OFCCP, Veterans

On March 30, 2018, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) released its 2018 Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (“VEVRAA”) Benchmark. Effective March 31, 2018, the new benchmark is 6.4%, slightly lower than the previous year’s 6.7% benchmark. This is OFCCP’s fourth reduction of the benchmark, which has steadily declined since its inception in 2014.

The VEVRAA Benchmark is the figure which federal contractors must use to assess the effectiveness of their outreach programs for the hiring of veterans. Contractors may either use OFCCP’s national benchmark, or establish their own benchmark using applicable statistics and other metrics set forth in OFCCP’s regulations (41 CFR § 60-300.45(b)(2)).

OFCCP Announces New Compliance Evaluation Experience Survey

By Connie Bertram, Guy Brenner and Emilie Adams on Posted in OFCCP

This week, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) announced that it will be sending a survey to federal contractors in an effort to “continue improving communication, transparency, and timeliness during [its] compliance evaluations.” OFCCP’s survey appears to be the latest effort by the agency to establish a more cooperative relationship with the government contractor community and address contractors’ concerns.

According to OFCCP, contractors who completed a compliance evaluation between October 1, 2012 and September 30, 2017 will be receiving the survey via email in the next two weeks. The survey, which can be completed anonymously, will collect information concerning contractors’ experiences during compliance evaluations. The survey will also allow contractors to provide suggestions to OFCCP for improving the compliance evaluation process.

OFCCP’s announcement emphasizes that it will not schedule a contractor for a compliance evaluation based on its participation in the survey. And, because the survey is anonymous, a contractor’s participation in the survey will not have an impact on any compliance evaluation that is already underway. Contractors with questions about the survey can email OFCCP at OFCCP-Customer-Exp-Survey@dol.gov.

LexBlog