Office of Congressional Workplace Rights

The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR; formerly the Office of Compliance) was created through the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA) which applied workplace protection laws to approximately 30,000 employees of the legislative branch nationwide and established the Office of Compliance to administer and ensure the integrity of the Act through its programs of dispute resolution, education, and enforcement. The OCWR educates members of Congress, employing offices and employees, and the visiting public on their rights and responsibilities under workplace and accessibility laws. The OCWR also advises Congress on needed changes and amendments to the CAA; and the OCWR'sGeneral Counsel has independent investigatory and enforcement authority for certain violations of the CAA. The OCWR has a five-member, non-partisan Board of Directors and four executive staff, appointed by the Board, who carry out the day-to-day functions of the Agency. The Office also employs professional staff on Capitol Hill who educate, communicate, inspect, litigate, and otherwise run its operations. History On January 23, 1995, the CAA became the first bill signed into law for the 104th Congress. The legislation applied 11 civil rights, safety, labor, and public access federal laws to the Legislative Branch, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct), the Uniformed Service Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), among others. The law also established the OCWR to ensure compliance with the CAA and provide an outreach and education program for Legislative Branch employers. On January 23, 1996, the OOC officially opened. The OCWR enforces several federal workplace and public access laws to the Legislative Branch through programs of dispute resolution, investigation, and education. The OCWR administers a mandatory, multi-step dispute resolution process that all employees must follow in order to process their claims under the CAA and supervises and certifies bargaining unit elections. The OCWR General Counsel routinely inspects Legislative Branch offices and facilities to ensure compliance with OSHAct and ADA standards.