OFCCP Establishes What to Expect from the Agency Moving Forward

Recently the OFCCP published a bulletin informing Federal contractors of what they should expect when working with the agency. Some of the things they indicate contractors can expect are:

• Clear, concise, and practical compliance assistance
• A reply to help desk inquiries within 3-4 business days, or notification if there will be a delay
• Opportunity to provide feedback on compliance assistance offerings and “periodically” on experiences during recent compliance evaluations
• Professional, prompt, courteous, and accurate interactions with OFCCP’s staff
• Continued use of a neutral selection system for scheduling audits—however the agency did note there may be a focus on particular industries, sectors, geographies, or types of employment practices
• Opportunities to discuss compliance evaluation concerns, outlining the chain of communication desired, starting with the compliance officer up to and including the national office, if necessary
• Communication on the status and progress of active compliance evaluations
• Confidentiality “to the maximum extent allowed by law”

The bulletin reiterated the agency’s claim that a contractor would never be scheduled for a compliance evaluation because the contractor sought compliance assistance. Also mentioned throughout the document was the contractor’s responsibility for seeking guidance, providing specific and accurate information, and cooperating with the agency.