J.H. Fitzmaurice, Inc. has had years of experience complying with the City of Oakland's local business and local resident hiring programs. As an Oakland based contractor since 1922, Fitzmaurice has participated and complied with every one of Oakland's employment and enterprise programs.

Oakland's current programs are titled the "Small Local Business Enterprise Program" and the "Local Employment Program." At one time these programs also included MBE, WBE and minority worker components. Oakland's current goal is to have 35% of the work performed or purchased from Small Local Business Enterprises and at least 15% by certified "Local Businesses." Fitzmaurice is certified by Oakland as a Local Business.

Fitzmaurice's projects have met Oakland's requirements under the new program. Due to the limited number of SLBE's available, and with no SLBE's in many trades, meeting the SLBE goals is not an easy task. It takes perseverance, timing, personal contacts, and long term efforts of fostering local business relationships.

Fitzmaurice's commitment to hiring local subcontractors and having an Oakland based workforce has greatly helped in obtaining compliance with Oakland's 50% local hiring goal. The Local Employment Program requires careful record keeping and monitoring throughout the project to work effectively. Fitzmaurice's on-site management monitors the subcontractor's workforce each day, and the office staff summarizes the results monthly based on the certified payroll reports. Each subcontractor, who cannot supply at least a 50% Oakland based workforce, must send in a "Job Request and Referral Form" indicating the number of local workers needed and their required skills. Oakland maintains a listing of available employees for referral to contractors. Fitzmaurice's methods have allowed it to successfully pass all of Oakland's post-job audits of the firm's local hiring.

Even before the City of Oakland developed its local hire program, Fitzmaurice implemented its own outreach program. The firm pioneered outreach programs on a number of projects, including hiring local homeless workers as desired by the City of Berkeley. Fitzmaurice has complied with the Oakland Unified School District's local employment, minority hiring, and MBE/WBE programs on over twenty school renovation projects during the last five years.