The Labor Department’s (DOL’s) Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a report finding that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) did not adequately enforce the equal employment opportunity (EEO) requirements in federal construction contracts. The OIG’s conclusions are based on a multi-year review of the process used by OFCCP to select construction contractors for compliance audits; interviews of OFCCP officials; and evaluation of OFCCP data from construction compliance audits and complaint investigations closed by the agency from October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2019, including a review of all construction compliance evaluations and complaints closed in fiscal year (FY) 2016.
The OIG’s report offers two recommendations: (1) that OFCCP improve its selection process by developing a “risk-based approach” for conducting construction compliance evaluations; and (2) that the agency update the participation goals and timetables for minorities and females along with implementing a process to keep them current.
The OIG report also contains a written response to the findings from OFCCP Director Craig Leen in which he generally agrees with OIG’s recommendations and discusses a number of agency initiatives that are already underway to address the concerns identified.
A copy of the DOL’s OIG report, entitled “OFCCP Did Not Show It Adequately Enforced EEO Requirements on Federal Construction Contracts,” is available online.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.