Prospect of Affirmative Action Checks Worries U.S. Contractors

The U.S. Labor Department is looking at ways to verify that federal contractors are setting required affirmative action goals, a move that has companies worried about handing over more sensitive workforce data to the government.

The agency sparked concerns when it recently posted an “Affirmative Action Plan Verification Interface” webpage. The site is labeled as “Coming Soon” and describes itself as a “secure web based interface created to improve communication and the transfer of Affirmative Action Plan data.”

The DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs could use the site to collect companies’ full affirmative action plans, which detail ...