As a federal contractor, you are likely familiar with many of the acronyms and terms used in government compliance. For instance, you may already know what information can be referenced in the FCCM and be familiar with EEO. Do you also know how to pinpoint your EA?
There may be more terminology that you might not be aware of or may want to add to your vocabulary. A list of acronyms and terms that you may encounter while working with the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is included here for your easy reference.
| AA | Affirmative Action An action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment. |
| AAP | Affirmative Action Plan or Program A program that includes policies and procedures to ensure that qualified applicants and employees are receiving equal opportunity. |
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act A federal law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. |
| ATS | Applicant Tracking System A software application that enables the electronic handling of recruitment needs. |
| BLS | The Bureau of Labor Statistics An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) specializing in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. |
| CA | Conciliation Agreement A pre-litigation binding settlement between an employer and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) that details specific commitments the employer agrees to take to remedy alleged violations. |
| CO | Compliance Officer An Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) investigator who conducts compliance evaluations and complaint investigations. |
| CSAL | Corporate Scheduling Announcement Letter Letters sent by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to notify a federal contractor that it has been targeted for an audit. |
| DOL | U.S. Department of Labor A cabinet-level department of the federal government responsible for assuring work-related benefits and rights. |
| DVOP | Disabled Veterans Outreach Program A specialist who provides intensive services to meet the employment needs of disabled veterans and other eligible veterans. |
| EA | Economic Area A statistical area designated as the standard geographical unit for establishing goals during an audit. |
| EEO | Equal Employment Opportunity The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) administers and ensures compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, and guidance that prohibit discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or reprisal. |
| EEOC | Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or genetic information. |
| ELAWS | Employment Law Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses Interactive, online tools developed by the Department of Labor (DOL) to help employers and employees learn about their rights and responsibilities. |
| EOE | Equal Opportunity Employer An employer who agrees not to discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability or genetic information. |
| ESDS | Employment Services Delivery System Websites used by state workforce agency job banks to post positions. |
| ETA | Employment and Training Administration An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) that provides high quality job training, employment, labor market information, and income maintenance services primarily through state and local workforce development systems. |
| E-Verify | Electronic Verification An internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. |
| FCCM | Federal Contract Compliance Manual A handbook which provides a framework for executing quality and timely compliance evaluations and complaint investigations. |
| FEIN | Federal Employer Identification Number A tax identification number used to identify a business entity. |
| IRA | Impact Ratio Analysis A tool used in affirmative action programs to compare the selection rates of different groups from an identified candidate pool. |
| JAN | Job Accommodation Network A service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that provides a free consulting service on workplace accommodations. |
| LVER | Local Veterans’ Employment Representative An advocate for providing employment and training opportunities to veterans. |
| NAICS | North American Industrial Classification System A system used by the U.S. government for classifying businesses. |
| NOC | Notice of Compliance A letter from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) notifying a federal contractor that the agency has not found violations during a compliance audit. |
| OALJ | Office of Administrative Law Judges Administrative law judges from the Department of Labor (DOL) who preside over formal adversarial hearings concerning many labor-related matters. |
| OCR | Office of Civil Rights An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that investigates civil rights, health information privacy, and patient safety confidentiality complaints. |
| ODEP | Office of Disability Employment Policy An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) which manages efforts designed to advance disability employment. |
| OFCCP | Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) which enforces for the benefit of job seekers and wage earners, the contractual promise of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity required of federal contractors. |
| O-NET | Occupational Information Network A standardized classification system and database used by the Department of Labor (DOL) for classifying detailed occupational characteristics. |
| PEAT | Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology A multi-faceted initiative funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) which promotes the employment, retention, and career advancement of people with disabilities. |
| SIC | Standard Industrial Classification A system for classifying industries by a four-digit code. |
| SOC | Standard Occupational Classification The universal system for all U.S. government agencies to categorize occupations in the economy. |
| SUIN | State Unemployment Identification Number The number assigned to a company for reporting and payment of state unemployment insurance. |
| VETS | Veterans’ Employment and Training Service An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) dedicated to veterans, service members, and their spouses to protect their employment rights and promote employment opportunities. |
| VEVRAA | Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act The regulation prohibiting federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against protected veterans, and requires affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain veterans. |
| WB | Women’s Bureau An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) that develops policies and standards as well as conducts inquiries to safeguard the interests of working women. |
| WHD | Wage and Hour Division An agency of the Department of Labor (DOL) that administers the wage, hour, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. |
Let us know what other acronyms and terms you would add to this list. We will share an updated list in a future issue.
