Better late than never.
Six months after President Trump ordered the federal government to end “illegal DEI,” the U.S. Department of Justice issued a Memorandum providing guidance on diversity-related practices that it...more
8/1/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Federal Funding ,
Race Discrimination ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Title VII
The U.S. Department of Justice announced its new Civil Rights Fraud Initiative with the goal to identify entities defrauding the government by knowingly violating civil rights laws. The DOJ is specifically targeting employers...more
File under “thanks, but no thanks.”
In an open letter to contractors, Catherine Eschbach, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, offers contractors the opportunity to explain how they have wound...more
7/1/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Disparate Treatment ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Trump Administration ,
Voluntary Disclosure
A cautionary tale for employers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our Affirmative Action Alert blog has been re-titled EEO Compliance Dispatch.
Many companies proactively analyze employee compensation to ensure that any disparities...more
6/10/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Compliance ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Pay ,
Pay Equity Laws ,
Race Discrimination ,
Risk Management ,
Sex Discrimination
Feds continue to focus on contractors’ DEI programs.
Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a Memorandum on May 19 advising recipients of federal funds that the federal government intends to vigorously enforce...more
5/21/2025
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Qui Tam ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
Universities
Window closes June 24 – and don’t expect an extension. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the opening of the 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection. Covered employers have until June 24, 2025, to submit...more
5/20/2025
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Disparate Impact ,
EEO-1 ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Trump Administration
OFCCP has had three heads in the first three months of 2025. Catherine Eschbach, a lawyer formerly with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, is the newly appointed Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. In...more
And other changes are afoot.
Michael Schloss has been named Acting Director and Deputy Director of Policy of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Mr. Schloss previously served as Director of the Office of...more
2/3/2025
/ Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
Trump Administration ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
DOL’s first step in the dismantling of EO 11246.
As we previously reported, President Trump has rescinded Executive Order 11246, which required federal contractors to comply with a vast regulatory scheme relating to...more
1/27/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Compliance ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
OFCCP ,
Rehabilitation Act ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Executive Order 11246 in 1965. Since then, organizations doing business with the federal government had to affirmatively recruit women and minorities for employment and ensure employment...more
1/23/2025
/ Affirmative Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity ,
Donald Trump ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
OFCCP ,
OMB ,
Popular ,
Rescission ,
Title VII ,
Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA)
How prepared is your organization? Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies have faced increased...more
8/23/2024
/ Affirmative Action ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Federal Contractors ,
Human Resources Professionals ,
Mentor-Protege Program ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
SCOTUS ,
Sex Discrimination ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Training
State Attorney General follows through on threat.
Last summer, shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v....more
7/16/2024
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
IBM ,
Job Promotions ,
Quotas ,
Race Discrimination ,
Reverse Discrimination ,
State Attorneys General ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College
On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court held that admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by using...more
7/6/2023
/ Affirmative Action ,
Civil Rights Act ,
College Admissions ,
Diversity ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Equal Protection ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Employees ,
Fourteenth Amendment ,
SCOTUS ,
Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard College ,
Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina ,
Title VII
OFCCP proposes to broaden protection of religious exercise.
Citing the need to clarify the scope and application of the religious exemption for federal contractors, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs issued...more
Laboratory Corporation of America has agreed to pay approximately $200,000 to resolve a matter with Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. According to the Conciliation Agreement between the parties, the OFCCP found...more
The OFCCP’s Final Rule prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against employees and applicants who ask about or discuss compensation goes into effect this Monday, January 11...more