EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DIRECTIVE 2001-01
 

TO:               Bureau/Office Equal Opportunity Officers

FROM:         E. Melodee Stith, Director
                     Office for Equal Opportunity

SUBJECT:    Sexual Harassment Hotline Referral Procedures

An all employees memorandum will follow this directive announcing the establishment of the Department's Sexual Harassment Hotline. This is to provide Bureaus/Offices with specific guidelines on how to proceed when calls are referred to you that are received via the Sexual Harassment Hotline.

When sexual harassment is reported, it will be the responsibility of the appropriate Bureau to conduct an expedited inquiry. The Bureau EEO Office must maintain oversight and coordination of the inquiry. When the inquiry provides evidence to support the allegation(s) of sexual harassment, appropriate corrective action, must be taken. In making decisions on the corrective action(s) to be taken, management must ensure that the actions taken will eliminate the sexual harassment and prevent it from recurring. Relief that is personal to the complainant also must be addressed. In addition, management must consider the Zero Tolerance Policy. For your information and assistance, guidelines for the conducting of an expedited inquiry are attached.

Within 10 days of conclusion of the Bureau process, the Bureau must notify us of the conclusion and the action(s) taken. If no formal complaint is filed on the sexual harassment claim, the EEO Office must maintain a copy of the inquiry report for one year.

Please note that contact with the hotline will serve as an employee's initial EEO contact date for entering the EEO process. If an employee is dissatisfied with the Bureau's response to the sexual harassment claim, he/she is to be given a Notice of Final Interview and right to file a complaint of discrimination. Thereafter, a formal complaint may be processed in accordance with 29 C.F.R. Part 1614.

The Sexual Harassment Hotline number is 1-800-527-8987 and the e-mail address is Sexual_Harassment_Hotline@ios.doi.gov. Callers located in the Washington, D.C. area may reach the hotline on (202) 208-0328. Deaf and hearing impaired callers may reach the hotline on (202) 208-5998 (TDD).

Where non-sexual harassment calls are received on the Hotline, the individual will be referred to the appropriate Bureau for information on how to handle their concerns.

Each Bureau is to provide this office with the name of a contact person to whom Hotline calls will be referred for action upon receipt of this Directive.
 

Attachment
 

Reference: Equal Opportunity Directive No. 99-01

DISTRIBUTION: Bureau and Office Equal Opportunity Officers
INQUIRIES: Carolyn M. Burrell, Assistant Director, Complaints Processing and Adjudication, 202- 208-5693
EXPIRES: When superseded