'During lunch a valuable customer makes an offensive racist remark.' As a professional, how would you handle this situation? What does professionalism mean to you? The American Heritage Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary define a professional as a person having a high degree of knowledge, skill, judgment and continuing practice in a particular activity. Mirriam Webster College Dictionary indicates professionals exhib...

I'm a born sorter. I actually find it relaxing to pick out all the blue beads and then all the red, yellow, etc. from all the rest in the less expensive 'bead mix' I just purchased and put them in separate little containers. In my closet, not only are the black tops separated from the pink ones, the long sleeved black tops are separated from the short sleeved and the sleeveless black tops. My herbs and spices aren'...

The last several years, cybersecurity has found itself thrust into mainstream media. Hacks against the government, companies, and individuals’ personal data have almost become a daily routine. To put actual numbers behind this, 54% of companies state they have experienced one or more successful attacks that compromised their IT infrastructure. Only a third of organizations believe they are adequately equipped to manage th...

In the four prior articles in this series, we have conducted an evaluation of OFCCP’s recent regulatory and enforcement positions through the lenses of the fundamental and perennial question, “What is Law?” This last article in this series addresses contractor concerns that have emerged over the past five years about what appears to be OFCCP’s results-oriented application of the law, i.e., determin...

In recent years, federal contractors have come to know an Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) that is, shall we say, a bit forward. More requests for data outside of the compliance review period. Common requests for workforce-wide compensation data, or for odd employee groupings without statistical indicators. Routine requests for exhaustive personal contact information of employees. Short turnaround de...

When the St. Louis Industry Liaison Group (ILG) talks about “meeting you at the fair,” it’s not about ice-cream cones and electric lights. What we’re talking about is a chance for federal contractors to visit with the community-based organizations (CBOs) who represent the veteran and disability communities in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area. What started in 2014 as a response to the changes with Se...

96 The OFCCP Digest is a complimentary resource for federal contractors on topics of Affirmative Action,...

Countless management books, seminars and programs offer insights into how leaders can develop trust within their organizations. Their consistent theme—“It begins with you”—is certainly valid, as leaders must model trust and set an example for their people. Success depends on a personal campaign of inner reflection, values assessment and relational intelligence. Training can be effective and rewarding...

Cornerstone OnDemand researchers have discovered a surprisingly simple way to increase productivity: better office seating arrangements. In a recent article in Harvard Business Review, Jason Corsello and Dylan Minor described the results of a new study, which suggested that who an employee sits next to affects how they perform — and that grouping the right types of coworkers together can improve productivity and wo...

Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers first recorded the song “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” in 1944, and many stars have covered the tune–Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Barry Manilow, and, for you punk fans, The Vindictives, just to name a few. But for David Corbin, it was a version by a dancing bear that stood out. Corbin, a friend I’ve grown to respect as a fellow professional speak...