October is Disability Awareness Month: What Federal Contractors Need to Know

In celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Department of Labor has declared this year’s theme: “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.”   “Our national recovery from the pandemic cannot be completed without the inclusion of all Americans, in particular people with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “Their contributions have historically been vital…
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OFCCP Settlements Zero In on Equal Pay and Hiring

A spate of recent conciliation agreements released by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) shows that the agency is making good on its promise to enforce equal pay and hiring rules. Equal pay has been a stated focus of the agency even before the Biden administration, which has promised to keep equal pay…
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What the Olympics Teach Us About Diversity, Inclusion and Bias

“Unity in Diversity”—one of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games’ three core themes. The unifying power of the Games, bringing athletes from around the world together to example the virtues of peace, solidarity, and excellence is indescribable. Still, Tokyo’s proclamation of “Unity in Diversity” falls flat in light of the many disparities that still plague participants…
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OFCCP Director Highlights Universities’ Equal Pay Missteps

Federal contracts are lucrative but come with their share of burdensome compliance obligations. Among others, these include equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements that are enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). Universities and colleges that provide contract services, like research, for the federal government are no exception to these requirements….
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The Equal Pay Act at 58 Years

June 10th marked the 58th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, which made it illegal for employers to pay women less than men for substantially equal work. Still, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently remarked in commemorating the anniversary, although the nation has made progress, “equal pay is not yet a reality.”  Indeed, women in…
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