Agenda Highlights

Policy briefings from senior DOL and EEOC officials

Presentations from state and local officials on their state-specific workplace equity laws

Sessions examining the latest enforcement trends of federal workplace regulators

Sessions discussing how data will be used to advance workplace equity at the federal, state, and local levels

 

Agenda

   

Wednesday, 06 March 2024

Description
Day 1 - Opening Address
CWC President Joe Lakis welcome conference attendees, provide an overview of the day’s agenda, and lay out the goals of this year’s conference.
Time
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
10:00 AM

The EEOC in 2024
As the nation’s chief workplace civil rights enforcement agency, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission plays a central role shaping – and enforcing – the fundamental nondiscrimination requirements affecting employers’ compliance, diversity and inclusion, and workplace risk management programs. This session will feature a discussion with EEOC leadership, touching on numerous policy and enforcement priorities before the agency in the coming year. Speaker: Charlotte Burrows, Chair, EEOC
Time
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
10:15 AM

How OFCCP Policies Will Shape Workplace Equity Programs
Employers holding federal contracts are held to higher workplace standards, particularly when it comes to their compliance, diversity, and inclusion programs for women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities. The federal contract “bargain” requires a self-critical evaluation of workplace equity and bias, including meaningful outreach and recruitment efforts, effective monitoring of recruitment and selection data, and careful analysis of compensation data, to name just a few. OFCCP’s 2024 policy initiatives, including its revised Desk Audit Scheduling Letter and forthcoming Modernizing Affirmative Action regulation are expected to impact each of these areas. This session will feature a comprehensive update on OFCCP’s current plans for administering, enforcing, and even assisting employers with these enhanced compliance requirements. Speaker: Michele Hodge, Acting Director, OFCCP
Time
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
11:15 AM

Post-Harvard Litigation Risks for Employer DEI Programs
Employer diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have faced increased scrutiny in light of last year’s landmark Supreme Court decisions finding two college admissions programs unlawful. Numerous lawsuits have now been filed challenging DEI and affirmative action programs used in other contexts, while some groups have filed complaints with the federal and state authorities claiming employer programs violate nondiscrimination law. In this session, Jason Schwartz, a litigation partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and co-chair of the firm’s labor and employment department, and counsel for the Fearless Fund will discuss litigation risks employers face today in light of the Supreme Court’s college admissions decisions. Speaker: Jason C. Schwartz, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Time
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
1:00 PM

Federal Contractor Pay Transparency
The Biden Administration has proposed new federal contractor pay transparency requirements. While many of the proposal’s provisions resemble pay transparency laws enacted in other jurisdictions, some provisions go beyond state law requirements and could pose tricky compliance questions. In this session, CWC staff experts will summarize the proposed new rule, highlighting differences between it and existing pay transparency laws. We’ll also be soliciting your feedback for issues that we should highlight in our comments on the proposal.
Time
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
2:00 PM

Colorado Pay Transparency, Part 2
Last year Colorado enacted amendments to its Equal Pay for Equal Work Act that significantly modified the information that employers must communicate to employees and applicants about job opportunities both pre- and post-hire. In this session, we’ll hear from a key Colorado enforcement official about the new changes and what employers need to do in 2024 to comply. Speaker: Ericka Fowler,  Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Time
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
3:00 PM

Open Forum | Daily Debrief
At the conclusion of each conference day, attendees will have the opportunity to join CWC Staff and other attendees to engage and interact with one another. These daily “debrief” sessions will give attendees a chance to ask questions and explore the practical implications behind existing and anticipated workplace policy and regulatory requirements in an off-the-record setting.
Time
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
4:00 PM

Thursday, 07 March 2024

Description
Day 2 - Opening Address
CWC Board Vice Chair Patrick Alexander and CWC President Joe Lakis highlight key takeaways from day one and provide an overview of the conference’s day two agenda.
Time
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
10:00 AM

2024 Supreme Court Update
CWC Staff experts will offer their perspective on the major U.S. Supreme Court cases decided—and still to be decided—by the court in 2023 and 2024. They will also offer thoughts on how the High Court’s decisions in these cases might affect employer compliance and risk mitigation efforts and share insights into what other significant cases may be in the Court’s pipeline.
Time
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
10:15 AM

Wage and Hour Policy and Enforcement
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is responsible for administering and enforcing some of the most important laws affecting the U.S. workplace, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Davis-Bacon Act, the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, and even certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and the Consumer Credit Protection Act. This session will feature a discussion of the agency’s policy and enforcement agenda in the areas of minimum wage, overtime, job-protected leave, joint employment, and more. Speaker: Jessica Looman, Administrator, Wage and Hour Division
Time
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
11:15 AM

California and Illinois Employee Pay Reporting - 2024
California and Illinois employers continue to wrestle with state laws requiring submission of employee compensation information. Come listen to representatives from California and Illinois as they discuss new and continuing obligations arising from these controversial pay data reporting laws. Speakers: Adam Romero, Deputy Director – Executive Programs Division, California Civil Rights Department & Jason Keller, Assistant Director, Illinois Department of Labor
Time
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM
1:00 PM

OFCCP Enforcement Trends
OFCCP’s focus on systemic discrimination enforcement actions continues to produce results, including some of the largest financial settlements in the agency’s history. OFCCP’s statistical analysis of employer data plays a key role in these investigations, as employers across multiple industries defend or resolve allegations of broad-based gender and racial bias in their hiring, promotion, and compensation practices. In this session, CWC’s staff experts will examine the agency’s current enforcement priorities and trends that contractors should be aware of in 2024.
Time
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
2:00 PM

Department of Labor – Office of the Solicitor
Among the most important, but least visible, agencies in the Department of Labor is that of the Solicitor of Labor. In addition to coordinating all Labor Department litigation, the Solicitor’s office is deeply involved in the development of regulations, guidance, and policy throughout the Department. This session will examine the Department’s enforcement and policy priorities from the perspective of one of the Labor Department’s top lawyers. Speaker: Bev Dankowitz, Associate Solicitor, Civil Rights & Labor Management
Time
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
3:00 PM

Open Forum | Daily Debrief
At the conclusion of each conference day, attendees will have the opportunity to join CWC Staff and other attendees to engage and interact with one another. These daily “debrief” sessions will give attendees a chance to ask questions and explore the practical implications behind existing and anticipated workplace policy and regulatory requirements in an off-the-record setting.
Time
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
4:00 PM

Pricing

CWC Members   $499
Register Today

Non-Members   $699
Register Today

 

Contact

Event Staff

Jake Mason

Membership Operations Specialist

(202) 629-5605
jmason@cwc.org

Event Staff

Constance Richardson

Team Lead, Membership Operations

(202) 629-5686
crichardson@cwc.org

© 2024 Center for Workplace Compliance (CWC™). All rights reserved. Formerly EEAC. No part of this document may be reproduced without permission of CWC. This resource is intended for the exclusive use of CWC’s members. Any sharing, copying, exchanging, repurposing, reproduction, or assignment of CWC’s resources or other copyrighted materials to any party outside of a CWC member organization in good standing without the express written consent of CWC is strictly prohibited. If you have questions about your membership status or becoming a CWC member, please contact us at info@cwc.org or 202-629-5655.