A new lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) demonstrates how dogged the government can be in trying
to obtain and review employers' compensation data. The lawsuit,
filed against Google with the DOL's Office of Administrative
Law Judges, alleges that Google failed to comply with its
obligations to provide compensation data to the government as part
of an Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
government contractor compliance audit.
The OFCCP is responsible for enforcing certain laws and
Executive Orders that apply to government contractors, including
Executive Order 11246, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the
Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974. To carry out its
mandate, including review of whether employers have widespread pay
differences based on age or sex, the OFCCP selects employers for
standard compliance reviews or audits. The audits typically begin
with a scheduling letter that seeks, among other employment
