The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Defense Security Service (DSS)

Permanent Workforce: 2,080 Temporary Workforce: 60 Total Workforce: 2,140

Workforce Composition

Employee Pool Total # Men Women Hispanics Whites Blacks Asian Americans / Pacific Islanders American Indians / Alaskan Natives
Permanent Workforce 2,080 51.68% 48.32% 4.07% 78.18% 14.77% 2.19% 0.8%
Major Occupations                
General Investigating 1,319 57.77% 42.23% 5.16% 81.88% 9.93% 2.27% 0.76%
Security Administration 494 42.51% 57.49% 3.04% 73.08% 21.05% 1.62% 1.21%
GS-14 and GS-15* 95 66.32% 33.68% 1.05% 88.42% 9.47% 1.05% 0%
Senior Pay Level* 0 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
First-Level Officials/Managers 24 33.33% 66.67% 12.5% 66.67% 20.83% 0% 0%
Mid-Level Officials/Managers 155 58.06% 41.94% 3.87% 81.29% 13.55% 0% 1.29%
Senior Level Officials/Managers 12 75% 25% 0% 91.67% 8.33% 0% 0%

*Does not include pay-banded employees

Targeted Disabilities

Employees with targeted disabilities represented 0.99% of the total government workforce in FY 2004, and of agencies with a permanent workforce of 500 or more, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, at 2.23%, had the highest percentage of employees with targeted disabilities. At DSS, employees with targeted disabilities represented 0.84% of the total workforce.

EEO Complaint Processing

  1. Counseling

    There were 22 instances of pre-complaint counseling (performed by EEO counselors and/or ADR intake officers). DSS timely processed 72.7% of the total number of counselings. Following counseling, 13 formal complaints of discrimination were filed.

  2. Alternative Dispute Resolution

    Of DSS' 22 instances of counseling, ADR was offered 18.2% of the time, but the parties elected not to participate, resulting in no resolutions achieved through settlements or withdrawals.

    At the formal complaint phase, DSS offered ADR 12% of the time; the parties elected to participate in 4% of the complaint workload; and 100% of the ADR closures were resolved through settlements or withdrawals.

  3. Processing Times

    DSS completed 17% of its investigations within the regulatory time frames, with an average processing time of 309 days for all investigations. In most instances, the regulations require completion of investigations within

    180 days. Of the agencies completing 25 or more investigations, the Tennessee Valley Authority was the only agency to complete 100% of their investigations within the regulatory time frames, with an average processing time of 117 days.

    DSS' average processing time for all complaint closures decreased from 492 days in FY 2003 to 470 days in FY 2004. The government-wide average was 469 days.

  4. Pending Inventory

    DSS had a total of 11 complaints pending at the end of FY 2004, with 6 pending investigation for an average of 133 days; and 3 pending the issuance of final decisions for an average of 371 days.

  5. Costs

    DSS agreed to pay $25,000 for 2 counseling settlements with benefits, an average $12,500.00 per counseling settled.

    DSS agreed to pay a total of $16,100 for 10 complaint closures through settlement agreement, final agency decision, and final agency orders fully implementing AJ decisions. For complaint closures with benefits, the average award (including back/front pay, compensatory damages, attorney's fees, and lump sum payments) was $1,610.

    DSS expended a total of $15,000 for 6 complaint investigations, for an average expenditure of $2,500.

Outcome of Counselings Completed in FY 2004

Counseling Outcomes Completed by EEO Counselor Completed Using ADR All Completed Counselings
# % # % # %
Total Instances of Counseling: 22   0   22  
Settlements 2 9.09% 0 0% 2 9.09%
Withdrawal/no Complaint Filed 7 31.8% 0 0% 7 31.81%
Complaints Filed*         13 59.09%
Decision to File Complaint Pending at End of Fiscal Year         0 0.00%

*Includes only complaints filed in FY 2004 where counseling was also completed during FY 2004.

Agency Use of ADR for EEO Dispute Resolution

Counselings / Complaints ADR Offers ADR Participation
# # % # %
FY 2003 Pre-Complaint Counselings 20 1 5.00% 0 0.00%
FY 2004 Pre-Complaint Counselings 22 4 18.18% 0 0.00%
Percentage Change FY 2003 to FY 2004 10.00% 300.00%   0%  
FY 2003 Complaints* 23 0 0.00% 0 0.00%
FY 2004 Complaints* 25 3 12.00% 1 4.05%
Percentage Change FY 2003 to FY 2004 8.69% 0%   0%  

*Includes all complaints filed in the fiscal year, including those where the counseling was completed in the prior fiscal year.

Timeliness

Total # # Timely % Timely FY 2003 APD* FY 2004 APD % Change
All Counselings (minus remands) 22 16 72.72%      
All Investigations 6 1 16.66% 268 309 15.29%
Merit Decisions (no AJ) 1 0 0.00% 642 466 -27.41%
Dismissal Decisions 2     1 31 3,000.00%

*APD = Average Processing Days

Outcomes of Complaints Closed in FY 2004

Complaint Outcomes Complaint Closures Final Agency Decision (no AJ decision) Final Order (AJ Decision Fully Implemented) Final Order (AJ Decision Not Fully Implemented)
Total Closures (14) # % # % # % # %
Settlements 10 71.42%            
Withdrawals 1 7.14%            
Dismissals 2 14.28%            
Merit Decisions 1 7.14%            
Finding Discrimination 0 0% 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Finding No Discrimination 1 100.00% 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%


This page was last modified on May 3, 2005.

Return to Home Page