On March 2, 2021, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) amended its Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for supply and service contractors for fiscal year 2020 to remove all of the contractor establishments previously selected for Section 503, accommodation, and promotions focused reviews and compliance checks. This leaves only the 500 compliance evaluations listed in the previous CSAL scheduled for audit at this time. OFCCP also published an amendment to its scheduling methodology. 

Although this amendment reduces the number of contractor establishments selected for OFCCP audits in fiscal year 2020 from 2,250 to 500, we anticipate that the amendment may turn out to be the first step in an increase in OFCCP audit activity this fiscal year. It appears OFCCP may be refocusing its resources towards the more extensive compliance evaluations and away from the more limited focused reviews and compliance checks, and may issue another CSAL scheduling additional compliance evaluations at some point later in the year. 

According to FAQ guidance released by OFCCP in connection with the amended CSAL, the changes will not affect pending focused reviews from CSALs issued prior to fiscal year 2020.  In addition, as confirmed by OFCCP’s FAQs, the amendment to the supply and service CSAL will not affect construction contractors who were scheduled for compliance checks or other reviews on the fiscal year 2020 construction CSAL. 

The amendment to the supply and service CSAL appears to forecast a reversal of former OFCCP Director Craig Leen’s initiative to refocus OFCCP’s enforcement activity on disability and veteran-related compliance issues, as the focused review program had been an important part of Director Leen’s initiatives.  It appears that OFCCP will now instead conduct more compliance evaluations that review the full range of the contractor’s personnel activity and practices and also expose contractors to greater monetary costs and potential liability.