UW–Milwaukee: UWM’s Commitment to Attaining Fairness and Equity in Hiring and Employment Practices

UWM’s Commitment to Attaining Fairness and Equity in Hiring and Employment Practices

Like all employers doing business with the federal government, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee must comply with the laws and regulations requiring nondiscrimination and affirmative action in employment. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration, is responsible for ensuring compliance.

Each year, the OFCCP randomly selects federal contractors and conducts a compliance review (or audit) of their hiring and employment practices. For UW-Milwaukee, this last took place starting Nov. 1, 2004. On April 26, 2006, OFCCP issued a two-page evaluation of its review, which revealed:

Zero findings of discrimination
Zero findings of damages
Zero need for injunctive relief of any kind.

The results are significant because of the thoroughness of the audit of UWM’s employment practices and affirmative action plan. The audit was conducted over about 18 months and included on-site interviews of approximately 30 university employees by four federal investigators.

It must be noted that the OFCCP audit did find three technical violations within the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Affirmative Action Plan. They pertain to documentation processes, not the university’s hiring and employment practices. All of these issues are being addressed by the university and will be reported to the OFCCP at intervals agreed to in the conciliation agreement (PDF download) reached by the federal agency and UWM in August 2006.

Even before the conciliation agreement was completed, representatives from the UWM Human Resources Department, Office of Equity and Diversity, and Office of Legal Affairs attended a technical assistance seminar hosted by the OFCCP Milwaukee District Office. Insights into improving and enhancing analysis of personnel activity, including hiring activity and compensation, were shared with UWM staff members. They have in turn shared this information with numerous campus groups.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is seriously and sincerely concentrating on achieving equity of all levels of the university experience. The result of this OFCCP audit demonstrates this university’s commitment to attaining fairness and equity in hiring and employment practices, and willingness to make additional efforts toward very important objectives that contribute to nondiscrimination and affirmative action in employment.

March 5, 2007