The OFCCP’s recent Directive, issued on August 24, 2018, signals a move towards greater transparency in the compensation review process for contractors.  With this new Directive, the OFCCP has rescinded former Obama-era guidance on compensation review, for a more open and transparent process.  The OFCCP sent out 750 corporate scheduling announcement letters to contractors on September 7, 2018, so compliance reviews may be imminent for a number of employers.

Highlights

Pay Analysis Groupings

The Directive sets out the OFCCP’s procedures for grouping similarly-situated employees for statistical compensation analysis.  The OFCCP explains that it analyzes compensation for similarly-situated employees by:

• developing pay analysis groupings (PAGs); and
• statistically controlling for further structural differences within the PAGs and individual employee characteristics, such as tenure, prior experience, education and grade level.

In a significant change, the OFCCP will use the contractor’s compensation hierarchy and job structure to run its analysis, provided that:

• the structure is reasonable,
• the OFCCP can verify the structure as reflected in the contractor’s compensation policies, and
• the groupings are of sufficient size to conduct a meaningful statistical analysis.

If the contractor does not provide information about its compensation system, the OFCCP will as a default use either EEO-1 or AAP job groups.  The OFCCP will “control further for sub-job groupings, functions, units, or titles,” as well as “tenure, full-time status” and other factors as appropriate.

Statistical Methodology and Modeling

The Directive provides an overview of the OFCCP’s methodology for statistical analysis of compensation data during the

As of July 1, 2018, Georgia is now one of 16 states that have banned the use of a hand-held cell phone while driving.  Under the new Hands-Free Georgia Act (House Bill 673), drivers in Georgia may not:

• Physically hold or support a wireless communication device or stand-alone electronic device with any part of the body;
• Write, send, or read any text based communications on such devices;
• Watch a video or movie on such devices; or
• Record or broadcast a video on such devices.

The Hands-Free Georgia Act does allow drivers to use a single button on a wireless device to make a voice phone call.  Under the new law, drivers may also use a wireless device for voice-to-text communications and for navigation purposes.   Drivers may use a wireless device in a lawfully parked vehicle, but not while the vehicle is at a stop light or in stopped traffic.

Violations of the Hand-Free Georgia Act carry a fine of up to $50 for a first conviction, $100 for a second conviction, and  $150 for a third conviction.  First-time offenders can avoid a fine by appearing in court with a device or receipt for a device that allows for hand-free calls.

Similar hands-free laws have also been enacted in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With the growing use