Federal contractors are expected to ensure their affirmative action plans are meeting the standards and guidelines as set by federal regulation and the OFCCP. However, getting affirmative action compliance in order can be difficult when you have many business interests and responsibilities to balance. For that reason, it’s worth considering the benefits of outsourcing OFCCP compliance to experts who will help you certify compliance without interrupting your normal day-to-day activities and duties. Here’s what you should know about affirmative action plan outsourcing.
Time Is of the Essence
Your updated affirmative action plan should ideally be prepared and ready for review at the beginning of your AAP cycle. However, it’s difficult to keep up with such a deadline when you’re trying to keep your business running—especially as other pressing matters crop up that demand your attention. As a result, trying to prepare your AAP may take several weeks (or months). Being unable to give your plan your sole attention may lead to oversights and compliance issues in an OFCCP compliance audit.
By outsourcing your OFCCP compliance, you’ll relieve yourself of the burden and be able to fully focus on your business and its interests. Meanwhile, our experts will be able to devote more time and resources to your affirmative action program and ensure your business is meeting every compliance standard in a timely manner. With our help, you’ll have your AAP ready and compliant if scheduled for an OFCCP compliance audit.
Professional Expertise
Another benefit of outsourcing OFCCP compliance is the knowledge and expertise that comes from working with a consultant solely focused on workplace liabilities related to affirmative action and EEO. Many federal contractors undergo audits but very few have personnel within their organization with the intimate knowledge necessary to prepare compliant affirmative action plans. When you come to Kairos, our experienced AAP consultants will take the time to investigate and review your existing AAPs and will make suggestions and formulate policies and practices to achieve compliance. Rather than simply applying a uniform cookie-cutter approach, Kairos Services endeavors to provide you with a plan that addresses your company’s personal needs for a thorough program unique to your organization.
Outsourcing your OFCCP compliance also allows for an objective and independent review of your AAP. Introspection of oneself—let alone their entire company—can be difficult if you simply don’t know what to look for or if you’re just unfamiliar with the regulations and standards to achieve compliance. We’ll walk you through your plan, point out any issues within, and provide recommendations and advice to make corrections. It’s easy to become complacent when your employment policies and practices seem commonplace and familiar, so we’re here to provide a fresh perspective.
Cost-Effectiveness
Many federal contractors forego outsourcing because they believe the expenditure outweighs the benefits, but you’ll actually find that outsourcing OFCCP compliance is the more cost-effective option. Because of the investment of time and resources of trying to accomplish your AAP internally, you’ll find the expenses quickly pile up as you compensate for this investment without an increase in profit or improvement to your operations.
Outsourcing to our professionals will prove to be the most cost-effective option in the long run and ensure that you have a quality final product when fulfilling your affirmative action program obligations.
Organizing Data
A task involved in updating your AAP that is easy to underestimate is recollecting and organizing all the necessary data. This task alone is incredibly arduous and time-consuming as you need to recall and present information such as your current year workforce, prior year personnel activities, and application files. Likewise, this is the most important part of the development process and shouldn’t ever be neglected. Otherwise, the results of the AAP analysis may not be accurate if the data is unreliable.
When you outsource, someone within your company will initially be responsible for gathering the data, but our AAP consultants will have the time and knowledge to effectively sort through and manage the data so that you have clean files to use for the affirmative action plan preparation and subsequent analyses.
Evolving Standards
The standards for compliance you may remember are likely not the same as they were. OFCCP regulations have evolved over time and have in turn become more complex for federal contractors. As a result, contractors that choose quick and cheap solutions are at much greater risk of failing and being penalized by the OFCCP. Some of the changes in regulations have been made to include concerns over veterans and employees with disabilities. Relying on our expertise will help ensure your business is covered on every front and eliminate problematic areas within your company and its affirmative action plan. With regulations being added or evolving, keeping up with them on your own has become increasingly complex to juggle with your other responsibilities.
Outsourcing vs. Software
Some contractors will turn to software programs to try and ease the burden of data management and formulate their affirmative action plan while saving money. Increasingly complex regulations can lead to software obsolescence that is incapable of keeping up with the demands of the OFCCP. AAP consultation, in contrast, has matured and can provide experienced professionals well-versed in creating affirmative action programs which address the ever-changing regulatory environment.
Kairos Services endeavors to provide quality AAP consultation that will satisfy and exceed the OFCCP’s expectations, benefit your company, and benefit the employees of your business. Give us a call today so we can work together on developing your affirmative action plan.