Just in time for its next round of audits, OFCCP has released its annual review of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (“VEVRAA”) benchmark.  And for the fifth consecutive year, the benchmark has been reduced benchmark.  It is now at 5.9%.  The new benchmark will be effective for affirmative action plans updated after March 31, 2019.

At its inception in March 2014, the benchmark was set at 7.2% and has been subsequently reduced each year since then based on  the annual national percentage of veterans in the civilian labor force.

The benchmark is the percentage of veteran hires contractors should aspire to make each year as required by the 2013 revisions to the VEVRAA Regulations.

In its announcement releasing the revised benchmark, OFCCP reminded contractors that it plans to add VEVRAA Focused Reviews to its slate of compliance evaluations next year.  This is the first year OFCCP will undertake Section 503 Focused Reviews.

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Photo of Laura A. Mitchell Laura A. Mitchell

Laura A. Mitchell is a Principal in the Denver, Colorado, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is a member of the firm’s Affirmative Action and OFCCP Defense practice group as well as the firm’s Pay Equity Resource Group. She is also on the…

Laura A. Mitchell is a Principal in the Denver, Colorado, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is a member of the firm’s Affirmative Action and OFCCP Defense practice group as well as the firm’s Pay Equity Resource Group. She is also on the leadership team for the firm’s Government Contractor Industry Group.

Her practice is focused on representing government and non-government contractors in OFCCP matters, preparing for and defending OFCCP audits, and counseling employers on issues stemming from OFCCP regulations. Ms. Mitchell personally oversees the development of hundreds of AAPs each year and is intimately involved in the defense of numerous OFCCP audits. She also spends significant time counseling companies in connection with conducting pay equity analyses as well as government contractor employment obligations.

Ms. Mitchell is the editor and a principal contributor of The Affirmative Action Law Advisor blog and frequently presents on pay equity, affirmative action compliance, OFCCP enforcement trends, and government contractor obligations.

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