The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced they are activating a Contractor Portal for current and future federal contractors to upload proof of compliance.
The launch of the portal may not affect all organizations. However, known federal contractors and subcontractors for supplies and services and university federal contractors must register and certify they have developed and maintained Affirmative Action Programs (AAP) at each establishment, as applicable to 41 CFR chapter 60.
Registration opened on February 1, and contractors that meet the criteria are required to submit and certify their AAP by June 30.
With the Contractor Portal launch, time is ticking to submit your AAP.
Archbright’s Francheasca Roberson, Program Manager, DEI, outlines the key things you need to know.
The Contractor Portal launched this month. What should an organization do now?
If the organization has determined that they are a federal contractor that meets the categories noted, we recommend they take the following actions:
- Verify they have an active and updated AAP in place. If they do not have an AAP, they will need to develop a plan. The OFCCP requires federal contractors to have a current year and the previous two years plan available in the event of an audit.
- The organization should evaluate their EEO-1 report structure in relation to their AAP plan structure and confirm they align with the term (establishment) as noted in their EEO-1 report. The OFCCP has access and may reference this.
- Register on the Contractor Portal, starting February 1.
- Certify their compliance during the open certification period, which is March 31-June 30, 2022.
What other things does an organization need to be aware of?
Their organization’s status.
If they have a larger organizational structure with a parent company and multiple locations, we recommend their legal team take the single entity test to evaluate and confirm how they will need to register this information in the portal.
If they are a new contractor, they have 120 days from the commencement of the contract to establish a plan.
What are the key benefits of an AAP?
If they are a federal contractor and have 50 or more employees and receive $50,000 or more in federal contract dollars, the key benefit is compliance. Federal contractors that meet the qualifiers they must create a written Affirmative Action Plan as part of their compliance guidelines.
This AAP is also a data-driven resource tool that can support recruiting and DEI efforts within any organization. It will outline many critical steps organizations should commit towards providing equal employment opportunities.
Why should members consider working with Archbright on their AAP?
Archbright does the heavy lifting to verify member data and ensures their plan includes the updated version of CFR verbiage. Our goal is to ensure that members who utilize our service will receive the most accurate representation of their organization’s Affirmative Action efforts. This is accomplished by working with professionals who are well versed in AAP preparation. They also benefit from not having to manage and navigate the process on their own, which often saves them the time and resources that would go into researching the
frequently changing federal regulations and paperwork involved.
Ultimately having an AAP can benefit any organization; even members who are not required to submit their AAP to the Contractor Portal can benefit.
Contact us to learn more about getting your AAP started or revised.
Ben Eckhart : Jan 24, 2023 11:00:00 AM
Tiffany Knudsen, SMS : May 2, 2022 3:10:17 PM
Archbright Team Member