OFCCP Requires DC Construction Contractor To Pay $875,000 To Settle Discrimination Case

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Program (OFCCP) issued a press release trumpeting that it had settled its claims of discrimination against a construction contractor based in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area for $875,000. The contractor was subject to the OFCCP's jurisdiction because it has held more than $600 million in contracts with federal agencies since 2006 and was therefore considered a federal contractor.  OFCCP's jurisdictional threshold for construction contractors is only $10,000.      

After conducting a compliance audit, the OFCCP cited the contractor for engaging in discriminatory hiring practices under Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment practices on the basis of race, color and national origin.  The OFCCP determined that the contractor had violated Executive Order 11246 because it used selection procedures, including