Utilizing important resources for EEO/AA Compliance

For many years, Federal contractors had limited avenues for getting answers to detailed questions associated with Affirmative Action and EEO compliance. While contractors could take the time to call the OFCCP or EEOC directly, it could be cumbersome to chase down a direct answer to any question that went beyond the text in the regulations. Contractors would also call on the various consultants and attorneys in the industry to get their interpretation of the regulations, but even with their vast expertise, those opinions might not be consistent from group to group and more importantly, they may not be in sync with the governments interpretation.

Having talked about how things used to be, BCG wants to make sure that contractors and proactive companies across the country are aware of new channels of information that are now available to them. One very important area of information that is now available to the public is the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website. While that may seem like common knowledge because everyone has a website and the government may not be known for providing real insight into their expectations, the current OFCCP website has evolved into a fountain of useful and in many cases even current information. While any website is far from perfect, there are certain areas of the current OFCCP site that are very useful and should be bookmarked and read by everyone from contractors to consultants. BCG will be providing a series of blogs to identify certain areas of the website that people should pay attention to.

Today's section is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) portion of the site. With the dramatic amount of change that has occurred in the OFCCP and Affirmative Action Planning requirements in the last 10 years comes a tremendous number of questions. The OFCCP has posted a detailed FAQ site that contains answers to hundreds of questions from the most basic to the very advanced. The FAQ's are separated by topic and they provide in-depth answers to the following topics:

* ADA Amendments Act
* Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter (CSAL)
* The Good-Faith Initiative for Veterans Employment (G-FIVE) Initiative
* Accessibility of Online Application Systems
* Electronic Recordkeeping Systems
* Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA)
* For Employees
* For Employers
* Compensation Standards
* Corporate Management Compliance Evaluation
* Federal Contractor Selection System (FCSS)
* Functional Affirmative Action Program (FAAP)
* Internet Applicant
* Jurisdiction
* Policy/Regulatory Issues

The OFCCP updates these questions periodically and BCG has found them to be an invaluable resource when assisting clients with understanding the governments expectations. Visitors can read answers to many of the most common questions and they can even search the lists for the specific answers they seek. While no single resource can answer every question and provide perfect answers, BCG highly recommends this site as a great place to start.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/regs/compliance/faqs/offaqs.htm

If you have questions about regulations or resources feel free to e-mail staff@biddle.com and we will try to help.