4 - HHSAR 352.docx

HHSAR 352.222-70 Contractor Cooperation in Equal Employment Opportunity Investigations (December 18, 2015)

(a) In addition to complying with the clause in FAR 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity, the Contractor shall, in good faith, cooperate with the Department of Health and Human Services (Agency) in investigations of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints processed pursuant to 29 C.F.R. Part 1614. For purposes of this clause, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Complaint” means a formal or informal complaint that has been lodged with Agency management, Agency EEO officials, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or a court of competent jurisdiction.

(2) “Contractor employee” means all current Contractor employees who work or worked under this contract. The term also includes current employees of subcontractors who work or worked under this contract. In the case of Contractor and subcontractor employees, who worked under this contract, but who are no longer employed by the Contractor or subcontractor, or who have been assigned to another entity within the Contractor’s or subcontractor’s organization, the Contractor shall provide the Agency with that employee’s last known mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number, if that employee has been identified as a witness in an EEO complaint or investigation.

(3) “Good faith cooperation” cited in paragraph (a) includes, but is not limited to, making Contractor employees available for: (i) formal and informal interviews by EEO counselors or other Agency officials processing EEO complaints; (ii) formal or informal interviews by EEO investigators charged with investigating complaints of unlawful discrimination filed by federal employees; (iii) reviewing and signing appropriate affidavits or declarations summarizing statements provided by such Contractor employees during the course of EEO investigations; (iv) producing documents requested by EEO counselors, EEO investigators, Agency employees, or the EEOC in connection with a pending EEO complaint; and (v) preparing for and providing testimony in hearings before the EEOC and U.S. District Court.

(b) The Contractor shall include the provisions of this clause in all subcontract solicitations and subcontracts awarded at any tier under this contract.

(c) Failure on the part of the Contractor or its subcontractors to comply with the terms of this clause may be grounds for the Contracting Officer to terminate this contract for default.