This week the Department of Labor announced its spring 2019 Regulatory Agenda. Included was an new item from OFCCP that was part of its prior published regulatory agenda. As OFCCP previously announced in 2018, its planned rule-making agenda for the near future includes rulemaking to address affirmative action obligations for TRICARE providers (slated for May 2019) and contractor’s use of religious … Continue Reading
As part of OFCCP’s continuing efforts at transparency, the Agency in late-November 2018 issued a Directive stating it would develop “a dynamic and searchable publically available source of Help Desk questions and answers to assist contractors.” Moreover, the Directive announced OFCCP would issue Opinion Letters to provide guidance on specific topics, either in response to … Continue Reading
In preparation for the 2019 launch of its veteran hiring initiative, the Department of Labor announced a list of award recipients for its pilot “HIRE VETS Medallion Program Demonstration Award” on Wednesday, December 19. President Trump signed the HIRE (Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans) Vets Act on May 5, 2017. HIRE … Continue Reading
In continued commitment to restoring the Agency’s relationship with the contractor community, OFCCP recently announced it has entered into a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the National Industry Liaison Group (“NILG”) in order to foster collaboration between the federal contractor community and OFCCP. For those not familiar with the organization, the NILG is a … Continue Reading
The third of the three Directives OFCCP issued last Friday, Directive 2018-06 “Contractor Recognition Program” announces a program by which OFCCP will recognize contractors with “high-quality and high-performing compliance programs and initiatives.” Recognition is one of the four themes Acting Director Leen has spoken about recently and such programs are not a new concept in the Agency … Continue Reading
As we announced Friday, OFCCP has issued three new Directives in furtherance of its efforts to make the Agency more transparent and efficient. New Directive 2018-07 “Affirmative Action Program Verification Initiative,” is aimed at expanding OFCCP’s enforcement reach and was previewed by Acting Director Leen at last month’s ILG National Conference. As we like to say, we can’t … Continue Reading
It has been a busy morning on the first day of the 2018 ILG National Conference in Anaheim, California. After a dramatic and moving opening presentation, OFCCP Acting Director Craig Leen gave the morning’s Keynote address. Echoing the conference’s “Navigating the Waves of Change” theme, Acting Director Leen spoke to the group about the four pinnacles … Continue Reading
Early in the Trump Administration, it was proposed to move OFCCP into the EEOC. Congress subsequently rejected the budget proposal containing the proposed merger and the idea was put to rest. Not to give up it’s quest to streamline the Administration and propose budget-saving measures, the Administration recently proposed a merger of the Departments of Labor and Education into an umbrella agency to … Continue Reading
As we recently reported, OFCCP is evaluating affirmative action obligations for TRICARE providers and expects to publish rulemaking on this front next year. In connection with this, to allow time for the rulemaking process, as well as to allow time for any potential related legislative action, OFCCP announced it has extended the enforcement moratorium for TRICARE … Continue Reading
Today, the Trump Administration released its Spring 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which “reports on the actions administrative agencies plan to issue in the near and long term.” OFCCP has only one item listed on its agenda, entitled “Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination Obligations of Federal Contractors and Subcontractors: TRICARE and Certain Other Healthcare … Continue Reading
In the words of OFCCP, the contractors spoke and OFCCP listened. OFCCP is also listening to the Government Accountability Office and its detailed review of the Agency. In response to the GAO’s Strengthening Oversight Could Improve Federal Contract Nondiscrimination Compliance report and on the heels of OFCCP’s Compliance Assistance Town Halls, the Agency has developed a … Continue Reading
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 to make … Continue Reading
