Ask the Experts is an exclusive online forum provided by Circa. Federal contractors and subcontractors are invited to submit questions to industry experts related to OFCCP compliance, affirmative action planning, and equal employment opportunity.
I work for a DOD contractor in which we primarily hire software engineers. Every summer, we hire a new cohort of new graduates to join our company. Before we make individual offers to these recent graduates, we collect their academic transcripts for review. Currently, only HR (and occasionally the hiring manager) have access to the transcripts. We are generally looking for GPA’s above 3.0 and that the students did well in their engineering classes. However, our interviewers are requesting to see the transcripts in advance of the interview, and in addition to the resume. In other words, when sending our interviewers a calendar item for the interview, the interviewers would receive the candidate’s resume and transcript. For candidate privacy, do you see any issue with the interviewers (a broader scope than HR) having access to the transcripts? My concern is that information on the transcript will create a bias in the interviews. I am also concerned that if a candidate is not able to send his/her transcript, we are not conducting all interviews equally. If it is permissible to allow interviewers to access the transcripts, should HR inform the candidate that their transcripts may be sent to the interview team? Thank you.
Since this is a question about privacy versus OFCCP compliance, it is a bit out of my area of expertise, but I want to give you some information at least, from a compliance perspective. Any time a company is reviewing job qualifications, it is important to understand why the criteria are what they are. In other words, why is a 3.1 acceptable for a new hire, but not a 2.9? What is the definition of "did well" in engineering classes?...
We are looking at turning on our employee self-service which would allow employees access to their personal data and potentially to update their personal information (address, SS#, DOB, etc.). One of the screens includes fields for veteran, race, gender and disability status. I know that the OFFCP has set explicit requirements around using the OMB established form or adhering to the font, size and text specifications, but didn’t know how this impacts HRIS systems. Are we required to offer that form electronically or hard copy anytime an employee wishes to self-identify? If that is the case, I would imagine these fields would need to be hidden from view. We have a hard time getting employees to self-identify. It would be nice to offer them the option to go in and update their information without having to go through HR.
It would be a nice option, but OFCCP requires that its OMB approved form be used for any self-identification regarding disabilities. As you noted in your question, any electronic copy of the form must: Display the OMB number and expiration date; Contain the text of the form without alteration; Use a sans–serif font, such as Calibri or Arial; and Use at least 11–pitch for font size (with the exception of the footnote and burden statement, which must be at least...
We are a non-profit servicing elders and disabled that recently aquired another non-profit agency in the same sector. This new acquisition received notice of an OFCCP audit. The last AAP plan in place is dated 2016. They have no ATS in place and no applicant data at all aside from 3 boxes worth of hardcopy applications. How do I go about creating an AAP with no applicant information or virtually no information aside from current employee data? The plan would essentially be incomplete. Do you suggest we take the time to input all of those paper applications? How do you suggest I tackle this and what should my first steps be?
In an audit, it is imperative that the Affirmative Action Plan and support data be as complete as possible. According to the rules and regulations enforced by the OFCCP, a lack of data can be a real problem for any company. I suggest you take a look at availability data as well to identify problem areas - this is what the agency typically looks at in an absence of data. You may want to seek assistance from a professional that...
Hi there!
We are currently updating our company’s job application with a ‘Statement of Accuracy’ at the end, basically stating that all information is correct, this application doesn’t guarantee employment, etc. etc. etc. We have the option to just select ‘Yes’ from a drop down when asked this question, OR select ‘Yes’ AND type their name. Does anyone happen to know if it is required to write your name, or if clicking ‘Yes’ would suffice? we just want to make sure that we are following correct protocol and staying in compliance.
Thank you!
Depending on your state location, it may or may not be acceptable. There may be certain laws in your state that require that the applicant initial the certification or write in their name. Many states have state-specific laws on various aspects of information that are requested on an employment application as well as required disclosures. So be sure to check that your employment application complies with the employment law in your state or jurisdiction. If you are a multi-state employer...
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