STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance (OOC) I am pleased to present OOC’s Annual Report for FY 2014. Looking through this year’s report it is clear that the OOC has made great strides in furthering workplace rights and safety on Capitol Hill. This year the OOC broadened its training program, expanded its inspection program for accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and continued to provide a fair and efficient forum to resolve employee complaints. We are proud of the OOC’s achievements this year and look forward to greater accomplishments in the coming year.
The OOC is a small agency with a large mandate. With only 22 fulltime equivalent employees and several contractors, the OOC ensures workplace protections for some 30,000 Legislative Branch employees on Capitol Hill and in district offices throughout the United States. The work we do on behalf of the Legislative Branch is equivalent to that performed by several different agencies and offices within the Executive Branch: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to name a few.
During FY 2014, the OOC continued to cross train safety and health inspectors to conduct accessibility inspections under the ADA. This dual purpose inspection program is unique and allows the OOC to provide the greatest possible level of services in times of fiscal constraints. In addition, the OOC workplace rights training program was greatly expanded this year to include new courses developed specifically for managers and supervisors on best practices in implementing the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA) in the workplace. Our success during FY 2014 was also greatly assisted by the continued support we received from the Congressional community. Whether it was monthly meetings with oversight committees, staff briefings on appropriations issues, or meetings with covered employers and employees to address safety and health hazards, the OOC’s efforts to advance workplace rights, safety, health, and public access were furthered by the cooperation shown by interested stakeholders. In particular, during FY 2014, the OOC collaborated with both the Committee on House Administration and the Senate Rules and Administration Committee to increase the use of electronic mail systems for both houses in order to deliver educational information and to announce special programs to Congressional staff. This cost savings initiative culminated this year in a statutory change that allows our annual workplace rights notification to be sent electronically instead of by mail, thus allowing the OOC to realize fiscal savings while continuing to inform Legislative Branch employees of their rights.
