[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 81 (Thursday, April 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22711-22712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-08932]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; EARN 
Perspectives of Jobseekers With Disabilities: The Impact of Employer 
Messaging

ACTION: Notice of information collections and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
DOL is soliciting public comments regarding this ODEP-sponsored 
information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and approval.

DATES: Comments pertaining to this information collection are due on or 
before June 28, 2021.

ADDRESSES: 
    Electronic submission: You may submit comments and attachments 
electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online 
instructions for submitting comments. Mail submission: 200 Constitution 
Ave. NW, Room S-5315, Washington, DC 2020. Comments are invited on: (1) 
Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the DOL, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) if the information will be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) the accuracy of the DOL's 
estimates of the burden and cost of the collection of information, 
including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (4) 
ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
collection; and (5) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lou Orslene by telephone at 202-693-
7928 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Employer Assistance and Resource Network 
on Disability Inclusion (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to 
recruit, hire, retain, and advance qualified employees with 
disabilities. EARN assists employers through online support and a range 
of education and outreach activities, including webinars, a website 
with employer-focused resources such as toolkits, a monthly e-
newsletter, social media posts, and training videos. It is funded by 
the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy 
under a

[[Page 22712]]

cooperative agreement with Cornell University.
    Phase 1 of the EARN Rapid Cycle Research (RCR) process asked 
employers about current approaches to online outreach to people with 
disabilities, the effectiveness of these approaches, their information 
needs related to online outreach, and remaining priority information 
needs. Building on this gap assessment relating to employer outreach 
and people with disabilities, there are two issues not previously 
addressed and worth further examination under the next phase of the 
EARN RCR process. These are:
    1. How to increase self-identification of disability status in the 
recruitment process, and
    2. Understanding why jobseekers with disabilities may choose to 
apply (or not) to an organization.
    In both cases, employers who participated in the RCR focus groups 
were interested in hearing directly from jobseekers/employees with 
disabilities about what might influence these decisions. This project 
will query individuals with disabilities about their impressions of 
messaging from organizations, specifically related to career pages on 
the company website(s). This inquiry directly builds from the EARN Year 
One RCR-related efforts in conducting a literature review on online 
recruitment of and outreach to people with disabilities, as well as a 
report from a review of 40 Fortune 500 company career pages. Employers 
made it clear that, given limited resources, a strong case needs to be 
made for innovations in this process, and, if only a few things can be 
changed, they want to understand what will be most impactful in 
facilitating applicants with disabilities to apply for their positions 
and to identify as a person with a disability. Findings will be used to 
add the needed critical perspective of people with disabilities to the 
development of resources for employers related to effective online 
outreach to people with disabilities. These resources will be available 
on the EARN website and promoted throughout extensive networks of 
employer national and international professional associations that are 
partnered with EARN.
    Study objectives:
     To build understanding from an applicant's perspective of 
how employer messaging in the online outreach process impacts key 
outcomes related to recruiting people with disabilities;
     To provide information and resources informed by the 
perspectives of people with disabilities that will support 
organizations in improving messaging in cost-effective ways.
    This information collection is subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA). A Federal agency generally cannot conduct or sponsor a 
collection of information, and the public is generally not required to 
respond to an information collection, unless the OMB approves it and 
displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. In addition, 
notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall generally 
be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of 
information that does not display a valid OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 
1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
    The DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for 
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an Information Collection Review 
cannot be for more than three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes 
that currently approved information collection requirements submitted 
to the OMB receive a month-to-month extension while they undergo 
review.
    Agency: DOL-ODEP.
    Type of Review: New information collection.
    Title of Collection: EARN Perspectives of Jobseekers with 
Disabilities: the Impact of Employer Messaging.
    OMB Control Number: 1230-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 200.
    Frequency: Once.
    Total Estimated Number of Responses: 200.
    Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 16.7 hours.
    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.

(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A))

    Dated: April 20, 2021.
Jennifer Sheehy,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
[FR Doc. 2021-08932 Filed 4-28-21; 8:45 am]
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