In an unprecedented display of transparency that was sorely lacking during the tenure of former Director Patricia Shiu, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has published online a new document titled, “What Federal Contractors Can Expect” that provides guidance regarding interactions between the agency and the regulated community. The new document follows on the heels of a series of stakeholder meetings held last year and earlier this year at which OFCCP solicited input on how it could do its job better and restore credibility with the contractor community.
Among other things, the relatively brief document addresses professional conduct by OFCCP staff, reasonable opportunity for contractors to discuss issues during compliance evaluations, reasonable production timelines for agency document and information requests, and periodic status or progress updates as audits progress. The document also notes that cooperation is a two-way street, and that the level of cooperation contractors can expect may go hand-in-hand with the level of cooperation the agency receives in return.
Although these guidelines are not legally binding on or enforceable against either party, they provide the foundation for building better relationships and encouraging voluntary compliance. A copy of “What Federal Contractors Can Expect” is available here.
Members of the Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC) can read more here.