Hello and Welcome from the Opening Day of the 2021 Industry Liaison Group (ILG) National Conference.

After a year hiatus, the 2021 ILG National Conference officially kicked off today from Nashville, TN.  Offering access to programming both virtually and in person, the conference is working hard to address the realities of operating in a COVID world.

After a day of pre-conference content on Sunday, the conference formally started this morning with a recorded presentation from OFCCP Director Jenny Yang.

Director Yang started her remarks by sharing the news that beginning August 16, Michelle Hodge, now the Mid-Atlantic Region Regional Director, will be Director Yang’s Career Deputy Director.

She then commented generally on Department of Labor Secretary Walsh’s vision for the agency and focus on working to ensure

good jobs free from discrimination are accessible to everyone.

She expressed that OFCCP is a resource to support efforts of employers to “remove barriers to opportunities.”

As for updates and announcements about ” things to come” from OFCCP, Director Yang noted a couple of items:

  • If the new federal budget is approved would support hiring of close to 188 Full Time Agency employees as well as other IT initiatives, that will allow OFCCP to review data at a national level through continued build out of its management system.
  • Reinvigoration of the construction contractor program, to include, a new scheduling letter (with new categories of data to be submitted at the outset of audits) and a new construction audit scheduling selection system.
  • Continued work on encouraging contractors to use FAAPs (Functional Affirmative Action Plans), which the Agency believe have many benefits, including grouping of more similarly situated employees which allows OFCCP to “identify more areas for growth.”
  • Intention to modernize regulations, to streamline processes and reduce burdens while “comprehensively” evaluating indicators.  Some of the modernizations Director Yang mentioned the Agency is considering including:
    • requiring disaggregated goal setting by race/ethnicity
    • looking at alternatives to establishment based approach better analyze workforce patterns
    • collection of gender non-binary data

Director Yang also highlighted that the Agency has posted an updated FAQs to address the new realities of work locations, including telework.

Director Yang closed out her remarks by saying she’s looking forward to working with the contractor community for years to come.

 

Tags: 2021 ILG National conference, construction contractors, FAAPs, Functional Affirmative Action Plans, OFCCP, OFCCP Director Jenny Yang
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Photo of Laura A. Mitchell Laura A. Mitchell

As co-leader of the firm’s ESG group, Laura Mitchell partners with her clients to evaluate, set, achieve and monitor their organizational culture and human capital goals. She focuses her practice on data analytics, including pay equity and other employee analytics, working side-by-side with…

As co-leader of the firm’s ESG group, Laura Mitchell partners with her clients to evaluate, set, achieve and monitor their organizational culture and human capital goals. She focuses her practice on data analytics, including pay equity and other employee analytics, working side-by-side with employers to build programs that benefit employees and create a stable, high-functioning workplace. Understanding that an inclusive, values-based culture provides a crucial competitive advantage in the modern workplace, Laura enjoys counseling companies on the development of proactive and equitable pay and diversity practices.

In Laura’s version of the reimagined workplace, attention to human capital issues, especially DEI and pay equity, would be the rule rather than the exception nationwide and she works with companies across all industries—both new and well-established multi-national organizations of all sizes—to realize this vision for her clients’ ongoing success. She helps clients understand all issues across the spectrum of their journey, helping to establish regular analyses as well as counseling organizations on implementation and compliance obligations, where applicable. Committed to putting her clients’ organizational goals first and foremost, Laura views herself as an extension of her clients’ team, responsible for providing proactive guidance and engaging in transparent, ongoing communication.

Laura also represents companies in OFCCP matters, preparing for and defending OFCCP audits, and counseling employers on issues stemming from OFCCP regulations. She personally oversees the development of hundreds of Affirmative Action Plans for clients each year and is intimately involved in the defense of OFCCP audits. Her approach to compliance is one of facilitation and conciliation while simultaneously advocating in the best interests of her clients.

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