Briefing for Human Resources Professionals on Managing the EEO/Affirmative Action Program for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities

We are offering a new online course for Human Resource professionals covering the recent AAP regulations for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Employers have anti-discrimination obligations under the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the American with Disabilities Act Amendments Action (ADAAA), and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA).  [The Jobs for Veterans Act is an amendment to VEVRAA.]

This class examines what Human Resources professionals need to consider in order  to comply with the new regulations. You’ll find information on how to attract, assess, employ, and manage these distinct and sometimes overlapping groups. At the end of the class you’ll find a checklist for a convenient review of the requirements. Follow this link: AAP for HR Professionals

We also offer an online course for managers and supervisors on what they need to know about Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.  This course is designed to meet the training obligations called for in the new AAP regulations and should free up the Human Resource Professionals from having to figure out how to meet this obligation. Follow this link:  AAP for Managers and Supervisors

New Online Training Classes for 2015 - First class for Supervisors and Managers on what they need to know to meet the requirements in the New Affirmative Action Requirements for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities

This year we are rolling out our new online training series starting with an Affirmative Action  course designed to meet the new training requirements for managers and supervisors. The  new Affirmative Action requirements for Protected Veterans and Individuals with disabilities  (sections 60-300.44(j) and 60-741.44(j)) stipulate that “All personnel involved in the recruitment, screening, selection, promotion, disciplinary, and related processes shall be trained to ensure that the commitments in the contractor’s affirmative action program are implemented.”

The online training course titled “What Managers and Supervisors Need to Know about Affirmative Action for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities” may take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Follow this link for more information, AAP for Managers and Supervisors 

Watch for our future classes coming online soon. The next class is designed to prepare HR personnel on what they need to know about the new Affirmative Action requirements for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.

BITS & PIECES: New AAP Regulations Covering Individuals with Disabilities & Veterans - Equal Opportunity Clause - Tagline for Solicitation and Advertisements

On March 23, 2014 new federal regulations for Federal service and supply contractors went into effect; one for Individuals with Disabilities (IWD) and one for Veterans. The regulations require contractors to add “disability” and “veteran” to the Equal Opportunity tagline in solicitation and advertisements for employees. Older regulations require contractors to include language indicating they will consider all qualified applicants, regardless of race, color, sex, national origin or religion. In a 2014 OFCCP webinar, officials said contractors should use “disability” and “vet” at a minimum in solicitations and advertisements; abbreviations “D and V are “not adequate”.

Below is the related text found on the OFCCP web site under their Question and Answers:

Vacancy Announcement Tagline

1. May contractors satisfy the EEO tagline requirement by abbreviating "disability" and "protected veteran status" as "D" and "V," respectively?

Contractors may refer to those protected by Section 503 or VEVRAA by abbreviation, but such abbreviations must be commonly understood by those seeking employment. Simply using "D" and "V" are not adequate abbreviations for this reason. For those protected by Section 503 or VEVRAA, the tagline should at a minimum state "disability" and "vet" so that the tagline will be clearly understood by jobseekers.

BITS & PIECES: New AAP Regulations Covering Individuals with Disabilities & Veterans - EEO Clause for Contracts with Suppliers

On March 23, 2014 new federal regulations for Federal service and supply contractors went into effect. There are two regulations, one for Individuals with Disabilities (IWD) and one for Veterans. One of the changes is in the language for contracts with suppliers. Both regulations require additional EEO language for contracts with suppliers.  

Bottom line, there are three ways to post the notice(s) and meet the regulations:

Post the entire text for each regulation (one for IWD and one for Veterans).

Post the individual citations (short version) for each regulation.

Post a combined version (this is the highlighted version below as drafted by the OFCCP on their web site).

 A contractor can determine what version they may choose to site the regulations.

Below is the exact text placed by the OFCCP on its Question and Answer web site. This is their example of combining the previous language covering race, color, religion, sex or national origin with the new language adding IWDs and Veterans into one statement. This statement can be used to meet the requirements for all three regulations.  Your old language in the contracts can be replaced with this new language.

Below is the published question followed by the highlighted answer found on the OFCCP’s web site:

2. Are federal contractors permitted to combine all of the Equal Opportunity (EO) clauses required by 41 CFR § 60-300.5(a), 41 CFR § 60-741.5(a), and 41 CFR § 60-1.4(a) (or for construction contractors, 41 CFR § 60-4.3(a)) into a single, consolidated “incorporation by reference” clause?

Yes, contractors may combine all of their required EO clauses into a single "incorporation by reference" clause, provided that the entire combined clause is set in bold text and the prescribed content of the veteran and disability EO "incorporation by reference" clauses is preserved. The following example provides one illustration of how this might be done for a supply and service contractor:

This contractor and subcontractor shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

Food for Thought

"The last buggy whip factory was no doubt a model of efficiency." - Peter Drucker

"When I hear artists or authors making fun of businessmen I think of a regiment in which the band makes fun of the cooks." - Anonymous

"The thing to remember is that the future comes one day at a time." - Dean Acheson

"Most ball games are lost, not won." - Casey Stengel

How We Can Help

The unspoken question that all audiences have, whether it is an audience of one or one million, is quite simple: 

"What's in it for me?"

Rather than reciting a general list of our services, we can best answer that by describing the types of situations in which we have provided substantial help to people over the years. Look over these examples and see if any of them resemble or match your needs:

• An executive wanted to improve communication with his direct reports.
• A team needed training on harassment prevention and EEO.
• A hard-charging manager was having problems communicating diplomatically with a diverse group of employees and needed one-on-one coaching.
• A highly accomplished executive felt an outside perspective could give an added boost to his leadership skills.
• An employer with federal contracts received a letter from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announcing an upcoming Affirmative Action audit.
• A large organization had conflicting departments and - unknown to them at the time - conflicting goals.
• An organization faced customer service problems, both with external and internal customers.
• Public sector executives and managers wanted training on how to make presentations to their councils and boards.
• A federal contractor needed an Affirmative Action Plan.
• An executive wanted a 360 degree evaluation of his leadership style.
• A supervisor's stress level was rising due to a very difficult employee.
• The employee handbook was boring and outdated and needed revision.
• The employer needed training in ethical decision making.
• A team was unsure about how to mesh leadership with management.
• The workplace had problems with trust.

If these resemble any of the challenges you face, let's talk. 

Call us today at 602-788-1717 or email: info@swrci.com . 

EEO/AA Management is Sound Management

Simply put, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action programs need active and energetic management. If left untended, organizations can become a jungle where indifference, inflated job descriptions, questionable standards, sloppy screening, missed hiring opportunities, outright or subtle discrimination, hostile work environments, and quotas are tolerated or ignored. 

And any of those can attract the 500 pound gorilla of litigation.

We've found that the best EEO/AA programs neatly mesh with sound human resources practices and high ethical standards. They don't stand apart as requirements that require occasional attention but instead blend in with daily management and supervisory behavior. This not only reduces resistance to such programs, it benefits the entire organization because EEO and Affirmative Action - if handled properly - are important tools for finding, keeping, and developing talent.

Questionable EEO/AA programs fail to enlist the active participation and support of the entire team. Just as the best quality management programs reach every corner of the organization, the best EEO/AA programs demonstrate how everyone has a role that goes far beyond preventing discrimination. 

In short, EEO/AA management is a major component of talent management. It not only prevents problems, it creates positive contributions to the organization's success by ensuring that employees work and strive in an environment where the only discrimination is on the basis of merit.

For information on how we can assist with the management of your EEO/AA program, call us at 602-788-1717 or email info@swrci.com.