Overview
This section prescribes the mandatory procedures for federal contracting offices to follow when they receive complaints regarding the administration of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It establishes the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) as the sole authority for investigating these matters.
Key Rules
- Mandatory Forwarding: Contracting offices must forward any received complaints to the OFCCP; they do not have the authority to adjudicate these complaints internally.
- Designated Recipients: Complaints must be sent to either the OFCCP Director in Washington, D.C., or any regional or area OFCCP office.
- Investigatory Authority: The OFCCP is exclusively responsible for instituting the investigation and developing the formal case record for each complaint.
Practical Implications
- Role of the Contracting Officer: Contracting officers act as a conduit rather than an investigator, ensuring that labor-related grievances reach the Department of Labor promptly.
- Contractor Expectations: Federal contractors should be aware that any disability-related employment complaints filed with a contracting agency will be automatically referred to the OFCCP for a formal compliance investigation.