If you’ve e-mailed anything to OFCCP in connection with a compliance review in the past 5 years you likely received a message recently letting you know about OFCCP’s upcoming survey. As it did several years ago, OFCCP will be asking a select group of contractors to provide feedback on how the agency is doing and
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.
Scheduling Letters Are In the Mail
When the Agency mailed the most recent round of CSALs in February 2018, it reported it would wait until March 19, 2018 to start issuing Scheduling Letters. True to their word, we have learned that Scheduling Letters have started arriving, at least in some areas of the country.
As a reminder, OFCCP sends scheduling letters…
OFCCP Funding to Remain at Same Level
In the new spending bill passed by Congress and approved by President Trump last week, OFCCP will receive essentially the amount of funding as it has in previous years. As signed by the President, the budget has $103,476,000 allocated to OFCCP, which is comparable to the $103,767,000 for FY2018, and significantly up from the $91…
OFCCP Issues New Directive in Furtherance of Commitment to Increased Transparency
by Laura A. Mitchell and Christopher T. Patrick
Under the leadership of new OFCCP Director Ondray Harris, the Agency has issued its first policy directive of 2018. Directive 2018-01, effective February 27, addresses an area of concern discussed at length during the Agency’s listening sessions earlier this year: the need for increased…
Federal Contractor Paid Sick Leave in Effect
As the first quarter of 2018 nears its end, and we are adjusting to an extra hour of daylight (and an hour less sleep this weekend) we wanted to take a moment to remind you about the Paid Sick Leave obligations that went into effect in January 2017 for covered contractors. For a refresher of…
Public Advocacy Group Sues OFCCP in Connection with EEO-1 FOIA Requests
As we’ve been discussing, now is the time for employers to be filing their annual EEO-1 reports. Coincidentally, and perhaps not un-intentionally, Public Citizen, a non profit advocacy group is also using this time to sue OFCCP around its practices of withholding information involving employers’ EEO-1 reports.
On February 26, Public Citizen filed suit…
UPDATE: EEOC Clarifies Change to EEO-1 Reporting for Employees at Client Sites
As we recently reported, the instructions for filing current EEO-1 reports includes a change to the reporting requirements for employees working at client sites.
Acknowledging confusion surrounding the instruction, EEOC presented the following today during a webinar held for members of the Industry Liaison Group community:
It has come to the EEOC’s attention that
…
Changes to EEO-1 Reporting for Employees at Client Sites
As we shared previously, the portal is currently open for EEO-1 Reporting. In addition to the change in timing of reporting and other administrative items, the EEOC Joint Reporting Commission has made a change to the way employers must report certain types of employees.
Employers with employees who “regularly report” to client sites…
Proposed Budget Seeks to Cut DOL Funds
The highly anticipated proposed budget released today by the White House included expected budget cuts for the U.S. Department of Labor. While cutting funds for the DOL, the proposed budget did not resurrect the previously raised possible merger of OFCCP and EEOC.
The President’s FY2019 Budget for the Department of Labor starts with the…
Breaking News: CSALs Are In the Mail
OFCCP’s website has been updated to reflect that the Agency placed 1,000 Corporate Scheduling Announcement letters in the mail on February 1, 2018. We have seen one of the letters – it is dated January 31, 2018, signed by new OFCCP Director Ondray Harris, and addressed generically to the “Human Resources Director.” OFCCP last…