The Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has recently published eight settlements worth noting. As has been the case now since last year, the agency’s focus continues to be on closing older audits, most of which involve alleged hiring violations. All of the latest settlements, in the form of conciliation agreements, involve relevant periods spanning 2011 through 2013.
We would also note that a higher percentage of the settlements reached in these aged audits over the last year, as compared to previous settlement data, have involved allegations of compensation discrimination, suggesting perhaps that the agency has been more flexible of late in reaching settlement terms agreeable to both parties.
Please keep in mind that just because a contractor decides to settle a dispute by way of a conciliation agreement with OFCCP does not necessarily mean the agency’s allegations would hold up in court. To the contrary, none of these recently released settlements contains any kind of admission of guilt.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.