The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Federal Appellate Settlement Team (FAST) Program

The Commission has established the FAST program to utilize ADR techniques to resolve EEO appeals that have been filed in the Office of Federal Operations.

How does the FAST Program work

• The FAST Program is focusing on appeals which have been decided by Final Agency Decisions on the merits. EEOC offers the parties in such cases the opportunity to participate in the FAST program; however, some cases may originate by a request from the Commissioners, the parties, or other sources.
• Participation in the FAST Program is voluntary for both parties.
• The FAST Program offers parties the opportunity to engage in settlement discussions either by attending a meeting in Washington, D.C., or by engaging in discussions over the telephone.
• The ADR techniques are conducted by qualified EEOC staff, who are experts in federal sector EEO law, and can utilize their experience to assist parties in reaching a mutually-satisfactory agreement.
• If a dispute is not resolved within 60 days of the date that both parties agreed to participate in the FAST Program, the EEOC will terminate the ADR process and the case will be referred back for adjudication on the merits. The neutrals will have no further role in the subsequent adjudication of the case.

What are the Costs of the FAST Program

• There is no cost to participate in the FAST Program.
• However, the EEOC will not pay travel or per diem costs for parties who choose to travel to Washington, D.C. to attend a FAST program meeting.

Need more information?

If you are interested in participating in the FAST program, or would like more information, please contact Gerard Thomson, the FAST Program Manager, at (202) 663-4560, TTY: (202) 663-4593, or gerard.thomson@eeoc.gov.

This page was last modified on October 12, 2004.

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