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Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month

During Hispanic Heritage Month, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs celebrates the rich cultures, history, and accomplishments of individuals of Hispanic ancestry. At OFCCP, we are passionate about building workplaces that ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the success of our economy and our nation.  That is why eliminating workplace discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity or national origin is a central part of the OFCCP mission.

In his Presidential Proclamation marking Hispanic Heritage Month, President Biden stated, “[W]e also recognize that America cannot succeed unless Hispanic families and communities succeed, sharing equally in the benefits of our recovery and our investments.”

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated economic insecurity and existing barriers for many Hispanic communities. Hispanic workers participate in the labor force at a higher rate than any other demographic group, but median weekly earnings ($779) for Hispanic individuals working in full-time jobs have been lower than those of White workers ($1,012).The unemployment rate for Hispanic workers has improved significantly from one year ago, but remains higher than the national unemployment rate.  

As our nation begins to build back better, we have a critical opportunity to identify barriers and strengthen recruiting, hiring, pay setting and promotional practices to ensure all workers from every zip code in America can access good jobs with equitable pay. OFCCP is committed to strengthening its enforcement program so that no person is disadvantaged in employment because of their race, ethnicity or national origin.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month Continued...

Since 2019, OFCCP has recovered more than $4.3 million for more than 2,600 Hispanic workers who OFCCP found to have experienced workplace discrimination.  Notable resolutions achieved by OFCCP on behalf of Hispanic workers including the following:

• On July 21, 2021, DOL announced that OFCCP and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina entered into a conciliation agreement to resolve allegations that the company systemically discriminated against 117 Hispanic, Black, Asian and multi-racial applicants for a student entry-level training program at its Columbia headquarters. BCBS agreed to pay $226,484 in back wages to the affected applicants.
• On June 15, 2021, OFCCP entered into a conciliation agreement with Worley Group Inc. to resolve allegations of pay discrimination. Worley Group, agreed to pay $500,000 to 42 affected female, Hispanic and Black employees at its Houston location. The employees worked in engineering, quality control, and scheduling/planning positions. Under the agreement, Worley Group also agreed to allocate $500,000 for salary adjustments and provide compensation training to managers and human resources workers.

• On January 11, 2021, OFCCP announced that Lockheed Martin Corp. has agreed to pay $700,000 in back wages and interest to 616 affected Hispanic, Asian, and African American and applicants not hired for five different engineering positions. Lockheed also agreed to hire 34 of the affected applicants.

Over the past half-century, OFCCP has helped define and defend equal opportunity in the American workplace.  OFCCP is committed to providing compliance assistance for federal contractors and addressing the barriers facing Hispanic workers.  OFCCP will continue to ensure federal contractors and subcontractors advance equality and opportunity for all. 

Protecting Workers. Promoting Diversity. Enforcing the Law.