Know Before You're Asked: Navigating EO 14398, Federal Audits, and the Path to Compliance
May 27, 2026 1:00 PM ET
The federal employment compliance landscape has shifted dramatically in 2026, and the implications extend far beyond traditional federal contractors. With the issuance of Executive Order 14398 and the rollout of FAR Clause 52.222-90, the federal government has fundamentally changed how it evaluates and enforces employer compliance with anti-discrimination laws. At the same time, the Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) Civil Rights Fraud Initiative has moved from policy announcement to active enforcement, with a landmark $17 million False Claims Act settlement signaling that employers should expect continued heightened scrutiny.
For HR leaders, the stakes have never been higher. Routine employment practices such as hiring pipelines, mentorship programs, leadership development initiatives, and compensation structures are now being examined through a sharper enforcement lens.
Join SHRM and DCI Consulting Group for a candid fireside conversation with two of the industry's leading voices on federal employment compliance: David Cohen, president and CEO of DCI Consulting, and Joanna Colosimo, vice president of workforce analytics and compliance strategy at DCI Consulting. Together, they'll unpack what these regulatory developments mean in practice, where the real risk sits, and what HR leaders should be thinking about right now.
This session will move beyond the headlines to give you a clear, practical understanding of the new compliance environment and the questions every HR team should be asking.
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand the scope and reach of EO 14398 and FAR Clause 52.222-90, including how flow-down requirements, the $15,000 micropurchase threshold, and certification language may extend compliance obligations to employers beyond the traditional federal contractor community.
- Identify the employment practices most likely to trigger scrutiny under the DOJ's Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, including recruitment processes, training and development programs, mentorship initiatives, and compensation practices, based on enforcement patterns emerging from recent False Claims Act activity.
- Evaluate organizational exposure to False Claims Act liability, including treble damages, civil penalties, qui tam whistleblower risk, and the downstream consequences of suspension and debarment for employers whose programs may be characterized as noncompliant.
SHRM Knowledge Advisors will join the live webinar to answer your questions in real time—right in the chat. If we don’t get to your question during the session? No problem, SHRM members can head to SHRM Connect after this webinar to keep the conversation going with advisors for 30 extra minutes. This benefit is only for members who join the live webinar and not included later on demand.
Meet the Presenters
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Nick Schacht
Nick Schacht is a highly experienced executive with more than four decades of experience in professional services, education, and corporate learning and development. He has a history of driving product innovation, growth, and profitability, and he has led organizations operating worldwide. Schacht is the Acting Head, Product Development for SHRM, the world's largest HR professional society, having served previously as SHRM’s Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Global Development Officer. Before joining SHRM, he was the founder and CEO of KnowCyber, a learning and development company focused on improving the cybersecurity-related skills of people in all types of organizations worldwide. Prior to KnowCyber, he was President and Chief Operating Officer for PetroSkills, a provider of training and development services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Prior to that, he was CEO and President of Learning Tree International, a publicly traded provider of IT and management learning and development. Schacht was also the President of Global Learning Systems, a start-up focused on e-Learning and digital content. He served in a variety of capacities at ESI International, culminating in his role as President when ESI was sold to the Institute for International Research (IIR) and then as Group President for the Americas for IIR. He has been a Research Fellow at the Logistics Management Institute, and began his career as a U.S. Navy Supply Officer, on the headquarters staff of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
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Joanna Colosimo
Joanna Colosimo is Vice President of Workforce Analytics and Compliance Strategy at DCI Consulting Group where she provides strategic leadership and oversight for one of the firm’s core lines of business. In this role, Colosimo directs a team of two dozen experts delivering advanced workforce analytics and compliance solutions to help organizations meet complex equal employment opportunity (EEO), pay equity, and affirmative action requirements while aligning compliance strategies with business objectives. With almost 20 years of experience advising federal contractors and Fortune 500 companies, she specializes in developing compliance frameworks that mitigate risk and support organizational growth in various industries and higher-education institutions. Her expertise includes: (1) EEO Barrier Analysis: Conducting comprehensive analyses to identify and address systemic barriers to EEO under a Title VII framework, including reduction-in-force analyses, (2) Affirmative Action & Pay Equity: Guiding clients through evolving federal and state regulations, Section 503 and VEVRAA, compliance program design, and pay transparency and nondiscrimination requirements, and (3) Regulatory Strategy: Advising on OFCCP audits, EEOC and evolving DOJ guidance.
Before joining DCI, Colosimo managed compliance and workforce analytics programs in the private sector. Her expertise includes compliance, audit strategy, executive compensation, and diversity and inclusion. She is also experienced in project management for selection testing, validation, hiring quality, employment assessment, and executive compensation evaluation. She is a recognized industry thought leader and frequent speaker at national conferences such as SHRM, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), the National Industry Liaison Group (NILG), World at Work, and the Institute for Workplace Equality. Most recently, she worked with SHRM on the BLUEPRINT event, co-developing legally compliant, inclusive, and business-focused peer cohorts and strategic roadmaps. She has also served as a strategic planning facilitator for C-Suite EEO, inclusion, and legal practitioner leaders, driving discussions on compliance accountability, inclusion efforts, and overall organizational strategy. Her work is often published in publications such as JD Supra, Law360, and SHRM news articles. Her leadership reflects a commitment to bridging compliance requirements with actionable workforce analytics, thus enabling clients to achieve both legal integrity and operational excellence.
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David Cohen
David Cohen is the Founder and President of DCI Consulting Group, Inc. He provides consulting services to employers and management law firms on human resource risk management strategies in the areas of EEO/affirmative action, systemic compensation statistical analyses, human resources self-audits, and employee selection and test validation. Cohen is the Co-Founder of The Institute for Workplace Equality, a nonprofit employer association that educates federal contractors in complying with their affirmative action and equal employment obligations.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.