EEOC has announced the opening of the 2021 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection platform. The deadline to complete filing this year is May 17, 2022 – giving employers only 5 weeks to complete the reporting. In an e-mail message announcing the opening, the Agency encouraged filers to begin the filing process “as soon as possible.”
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 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.
New Veteran Hiring Benchmark Released
As it has done annually since its inception, OFCCP has released a new veteran hiring benchmark. Effective March 31, 2022 the new veteran hiring benchmark (the percentage of total hires who are protected veterans that the contractor seeks to hire in the following AAP year) is 5.5%. This is a 0.1% decrease from the…
OFCCP Reverts To Prior Enforcement Methods with New Audit Directive Rescinding Prior Transparency, Certainty Directives
OFCCP’s second Directive under the leadership of Director Jenny Yang addresses audit practices and rescinding four Directives issued by former OFCCP Director, Craig Leen. This Directive comes on the heels of another new Directive 2022-01-Pay Equity Audits and a notice of the Agency’s intention to rescind a Leen-era regulation – Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors…
BREAKING NEWS: OFCCP Releases New Directive Setting Expectations of Contractors During Compliance Reviews
Directive 2022-02: Effective Compliance Evaluations and Enforcement issued March 31, 2022 is intended to
strengthen OFCCP compliance evaluations and reduce delay by promoting the timely exchange of information
It also sets a number of expectations for contractor conduct and compliance during reviews, rescinding a number of previous Directives that set out transparency and expectations and…
OFCCP Releases Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Rescind Pre-Enforcement Notice and Conciliation Procedures
As anticipated, OFCCP has released its proposal to revise the Agency’s Rule on Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors and Subcontractors: Procedures to Resolve Potential Employment Discrimination. The final rule, published in November 2020, codified the used of The Predetermination Notice and the Notice of Violation as part of OFCCP’s enforcement activities.
In today’s message from…
President Biden Signs Executive Order Promoting Pay Equity and Transparency
In addition to digesting OFCCP’s release of a new directive on compensation, government contractors may soon see new regulations around inquiries into and the use of prior salary information. In conjunction with Equal Pay Day, President Biden signed a new Executive Order on Advancing Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness in Federal Contracting by Promoting Pay…
OFCCP Releases New Compensation Directive
Hot off the press on Equal Pay Day (the day that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year) OFCCP has released a new compensation directive. Directive 2022-01: Pay Equity Audits does little to set out how contractors should be looking at their pay systems…
OFCCP Contractor Portal Presents Strategic Opportunity for Higher Education Employers
OFCCP’s contractor portal is new for everyone, and we are all learning how to use it.
But it presents a unique and interesting inflection point for higher education employers.
Let us explain . . .
OFCCP uses EEO-1 reports to identify the scope of potential contractor establishments for audit. Because higher education contractors do…
A Few Tips for Navigating OFCCP Contractor Portal Registration Issues
OFCCP’s Contractor Portal, which will be used for certifying AAP development, as well as for uploading documents and data during a compliance review, opened for registration (not AAP certification) on February 1. If you’ve tried to register as a federal contractor or subcontractor at the OFCCP Contractor Portal, you may have encountered some “challenges.” …
It’s Live: OFCCP Contractor Portal Opens for Contractor Registration (But Not Certification)
It’s here! As we’ve been discussing, the Agency announced today during a live webinar the opening of the Contractor Portal, which will be used for AAP certification, as well as submission of data and documents during compliance reviews. However, construction contractors will not be required to register in the Portal or certify AAP…