Missouri-based communications company Fidelity Communications was hit with a proposed $11,000 fine for violating the FCC’s equal employment opportunity rules.
Fidelity Communications, an MSO that offers business and residential internet, phone and television services in select areas of Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, received the proposed financial penalty for willful and repeated violations of the FCC’s EEO rules at its Lawton, Okla. operation.
In addition to the $11,000 fine, the FCC is imposing reporting conditions on the Lawton operation, and to any successor owner should Fidelity spin it to another MSO in the future. With repeated failures to comply with the FCC’s recruitment and self-assessment requirements, Fidelity’s Lawton operation is deemed “not certified for compliance” with the FCC’s EEO rules for 2015.
At issue is the failure of Fidelity’s Lawton, Okla. operation to “recruit widely” for 13 full-time vacancies. Nine open job slots were filled using referrals from existing employees and walk-in applicants on various dates ranging from September 2014 through August 2015.
That’s not good enough, providing a good learning lesson to all. While it’s OK to interview or hire a walk-in applicant, that’s not “recruitment” under the FCC’s rules. Similarly, relying only on private contacts or internal postings is insufficient, as no public outreach to fill the jobs was conducted. Furthermore, recruiting solely from internet sources also fails to satisfy the FCC’s requirement to widely disseminate information concerning vacancies.
Twelve of the 13 recruiting failures cannot be redressed through a monetary penalty, as the statute of limitations is beyond the 12-month period for such fines. Thus, Fidelity could have been forced to fork over another $132,000.
Fidelity is based in the small city of Sullivan, Mo., to the southwest of St. Louis, and has been operated by the Davis family since 1940. COO Mike Davis did not return RBR + TVBR’s call seeking comment by press time.
