{"id":6518,"date":"2024-01-24T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biddle.com\/blog\/?p=6518"},"modified":"2024-01-31T11:21:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T19:21:53","slug":"is-affirmative-action-legal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biddle.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/24\/is-affirmative-action-legal\/","title":{"rendered":"Unraveling Intent: Exploring OFCCP Legal Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An Expert Insight Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: Is Affirmative Action Legal?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BCGi, and this author in particular, have been screaming for years<\/em> for the OFCCP to clean up its regulations and, among other things, abandon anachronistic, confusing, and misleading terms. And we have been reminding practitioners that \u201caffirmative action\u201d in the federal contracting realm actually means the exact opposite<\/em> of what everyone else in the world thinks of as \u201caffirmative action.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, the OFCCP is holding on to the original<\/em> definition of \u201caffirmative action,\u201d which meant taking proactive (affirmative) steps (action) to ensure that nondiscrimination laws are not broken, rather than just posting a policy in the breakroom and crossing your fingers. The term has become a contranym, though, a word that holds opposite meanings. Outside of the OFCCP, \u201caffirmative action\u201d means all the things an affirmative action program is designed to avoid<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our<\/em> world, something like a hiring quota, the implementation of a points system, set-asides, etc. are only allowed<\/em> in very limited circumstances to remedy an actual, provable instance of discrimination. Note that we did not say that such things are \u201clegal<\/em>,\u201d because they are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if a federal contractor is ordered by a court <\/em>to implement a temporary hiring quota to remedy past hiring discrimination, that quota is not \u201clegal\u201d in the sense that it is expressly allowed by the underlying law. Neither Title VII nor Executive Order 11246 contain exceptions to the painfully simple rule of not using protected characteristics when making employment decisions. It may be allowed<\/em> by courts, but will be treated as what\u2019s called an \u201caffirmative defense.\u201d In other words, the quota will still violate the law, but the courts will allow you to plead guilty and not face punishment if the right circumstances are met. That is not the same as being \u201clegal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Federal \u201caffirmative action\u201d programs are actually all about avoiding<\/em> the need for \u201caffirmative action\u201d by not breaking nondiscrimination laws in the first place. It is about employers actively policing themselves to ensure that people have actual<\/em> equal opportunity and that no one<\/em> faces discrimination. So it is hard to see how any political group\u2014right or left\u2014could have a legitimate beef with Title VII or the Executive Order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay tuned for “Part 2: What Is America First Legal and What Are They Challenging?”<\/strong> coming next week as we explore the lawsuits attacking the OFCCP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re interested in learning more on this topic, it just so happens we’re hosting a free webinar entitled, \u201cHow to Talk About Affirmative Action\u201d on March 11. Sign up here<\/a> if you want to catch that show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as always, if you have questions about this or any other OFCCP-related matter, please feel free to reach out to us at BCGi@Biddle.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An Expert Insight Series Part 1: Is Affirmative Action Legal? BCGi, and this author in particular, have been screaming for years for the OFCCP to clean up its regulations and, among other things, abandon anachronistic, confusing, and misleading terms. And we have been reminding practitioners that \u201caffirmative action\u201d in the federal contracting realm actually means […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101017,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[369,4,617,144],"tags":[18,27,143,79],"class_list":{"0":"post-6518","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-diversity","7":"category-eeo-news","8":"category-federal-contractors","9":"category-ofccp","10":"tag-affirmative-action-planning","11":"tag-bcgi","12":"tag-federal-contractor","13":"tag-ofccp","14":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nUnraveling Intent: Exploring OFCCP Legal Challenges » Biddle Consulting Group News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Expert Insight Series, Unraveling Intent: Exploring OFCCP Legal Challenges. 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