Whether you believe it or not, contract compliance is something that affects all of us everyday in our lives. Contract compliance refers to the rules and regulations that are set forth in order to protect employees from being taken advantage of. The entity in charge of maintaining these rules is the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the OFCCP. It not only creates but also enforces the laws that safeguard job integrity. Contract compliance has many components, each playing an important role in protecting the work force.
Prevailing wage is a prevalent issue in the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Prevailing wage is the average measure of wages, overtime, and benefits available to a worker in a specific area, and this average is used to set the standard for other workers in the area. Prevailing wage is more commonly known as minimum wage, and this is the lowest amount that a worker can be legally paid. By enforcing a minimum wage rule, employers cannot take advantage of people who are willing to work for less because they really need a job. With many areas experiencing an increase in illegal immigration, prevailing wage has become an increasingly common problem. Illegal immigrants are picked up as cheap labor, allowing employers to skirt around the minimum wage rules.
The OFCCP is also charged with enforcing an equal opportunity setting for the job market. By making jobs available to everyone without the fear of discrimination, anyone who wants a job is equally as likely to get one. By enforcing the elimination discrimination in the hiring process, potential employees who fear they are being discriminated against can do something.
It is the duty of the OFCCP to make sure kickbacks and acceptance fees find no part in the job market. A kickback is an illegal payment made to persuade a potential employer or investor into a business agreement. Acceptance fees are another illegal form of payment that a hired employee would hand off to an employer once they are hired. These, along with other illegal bribes aimed at getting an unfair advantage, are under the jurisdiction of the OFCCP and ensure that everyone gets a fair chance at a job.
The job of a contract compliance firm is to figure out if any funny business is going on. There are multiple ways an office can do this, and it generally revolves pretty heavily around paperwork. A paper trail is generally left by anyone breaking the rules of the OFCCP, and this can be discovered and read by a professional in a contract compliance firm. Any sort of paper documentation, from receipts and invoices to purchase orders and bank statements can be enough to discover if someone in your company is conducting business illegally. By looking for anything out of the ordinary in your paperwork, a contract compliance firm can pinpoint someone who is taking advantage of your business.
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance is in place to make sure everyone in the United States is being treated fairly in their job as well as when they are looking for one. By creating an equal opportunities setting and by enforcing laws that prevent you from being taken advantage of, the OFCCP is a huge asset when trying to find a job. With the economy as it is, the OFCCP is having more cases than ever, protecting the rights of you and other Americans.