Coinciding with the National Industry Liaison Group’s national conference in Anaheim, the OFCCP released a “What Federal Contractors Can Expect” document last week. The document is a result of the areas of focus identified in OFCCP’s Town Hall Action Plan released in April 2018: training, communication, and trust.
The two-page document provides a concise version of the assistance federal contractors can expect from the agency.
- Access to Accurate Compliance Assistance Material –
OFCCP will continually provide materials (such as brochures, factsheets, assistance guides, directives, etc.), and other training platforms (e.g., webinars, FAQs, emails, etc.) to ensure that contractors are informed of their legal obligations. While all these materials will be made available, contractors are ultimately responsible for using and/or seeking help. - Timely Responses to Compliance Assistance Questions –
3-4 business days responses to Help Desk inquiries and compliance assistance questions. In cases where the inquiries need more research, contractors will receive notice of delay and assurance of response from the OFCCP. - Opportunities to Provide Meaningful Feedback and Collaborate –
Opportunities for contractors to provide feedback on quality and quantity of the available compliance assistance materials/platforms, as well as, provide feedback on recent compliance evaluation experiences. - Professional Conduct by OFCCP’s Compliance Staff –
Prompt, courteous, and accurate information during OFCCP audits and complaint investigations. - Neutral Scheduling of Compliance Evaluations –
OFCCP will use neutral selection system to identify contractors for compliance evaluations. No contractor will be “targeted” or scheduled for compliance evaluations by seeking compliance assistance. - Reasonable Opportunity to Discuss Compliance Evaluation Concerns –
Reasonable opportunities to discuss any concerns that affect contractors’ compliance evaluations or complaint investigations. While the OFCCP encourages contractors to discuss and resolve issues with their compliance officers first, they are not precluded from escalating their concerns to the district, regional, or national offices. - Timely and Efficient Progress of Compliance Evaluations –
Continued written notice for scheduled compliance evaluations. In cases for additional production requests, reasonable timelines will be provided. Contractors can also expect clear explanations of the evaluation processes and their progress. - Confidentiality –
Information provided to the OFCCP by the contractors will be kept confidential to the maximum extent of the law.
For more information, please visit the OFCCP website at https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/