Equal Employment Opportunity Office

The Army EEO program exists to ensure a discrimination-free Army environment. The EEO Program provides employees with a right and a procedure for redress in cases where they feel they have suffered discrimination.

The program components are Special Emphasis Programs, Affirmative Action, and Discrimination Complaints.

Vision

A workplace where people trust that they are treated fairly and empowered to achieve their best.

Mission

Eliminate unlawful discrimination in Hawaii Army activities.

Goals

• Goal 1: Provide a discrimination complaint system that is efficient and encourages swift resolution.
• Goal 2: Sustain partnerships with Army activities, other Federal agencies and community groups on special programs and events that realize the goals of equal employment opportunity.
• Goal 3: Advocate the advancement of qualified individuals in protected groups to levels equivalent to their representation in the Hawaii Army work force. 
• Goal 4: Gather work force feedback for assessing the well-being or our people.
• Goal 5: Develop and conduct effective training on equal opportunity principles.
• Goal 6: Be good advisors to Commanders, managers and supervisors and employees on EEO matters.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against any person with a disability in programs or activities that receive Federal funding.

The Department of the Army and U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii fully support a policy of no discrimination on the basis of disability under any program or activity assisted or conducted by the Department of the Army. This policy and the procedures for implementing this policy are outlined in Army Regulations 600-7.

Filing a Complaint

If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your disability or being excluded from participation in, denied the benefit of or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that is conducted by the U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii facility, you have the right to file a complaint with:

    U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii EEO
    ATTN: IMPC-HI-EEO, Stop #407 
    110 Glennan Rd., Building 690, Room101
    Schofield Barracks, Hawaii 96857

    or

    Department of The Army
    Deputy for EEO Compliance & Complaints Review
    ATTN: SAMR-EO-CCR
    1901 S. Bell Street, Suite 109B
    Arlington, Virginia 22202-4508

Please note that all complaints must:

• Be submitted in writing within 60 calendar days of the alleged discrimination.
• Describe the incident in full to include the date when the incident occurred, the location (Army post, camp, station), where the incident occurred, and identify, if possible, who discriminated against you.
• Include what action you are requesting to keep a similar incident from happening again.
• Be signed by you or your authorized representative.

        (Authority: Army Regulations 600-7, dated November 15, 1983)

Further information concerning accessibility and accomodations for persons with disabilities, contact the EEO office.

An employee has the right to seek redress through the EEO complaints process without going through the chain of command. For more information, contact EEO.

Who Can File A Complaint

 If you are:

• A United States citizen
• An Army civilian employee, OR
• An applicant for employment with Army activities in Hawaii

 And you feel you have been discriminated against because of:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Sex (including Sexual Harassment)
• National Origin
• Age (over 40)
• Mental or Physical Handicap
• Reprisal

Timeline

A complainant must contact the EEO counselor within 45 calendar days unless otherwise stated.  The counselor tries by working with the complainant and an organization to affect an informal resolution. 

The complainant may choose an alternative dispute resolution method such as mediation by an outside party.

If the counselor or mediation does not resolve the situation, the complainant then has the right to file a formal complaint.

The complainant makes a complaint in writing and submits it to the EEO office not later than 15 days after a final interview with the counselor.

The EEO officer will review complaints for acceptance and request a Department of Defense investigation.

The complainant may request an EEO commission hearing, or a final decision from the Department of the Army.

The complainant may withdraw from the administrative process and go to Federal District Court after 180 days since the filing of a formal complaint.

Note: If there is a resolution at any stage, the complaint process is terminated. The complainant may withdraw the complaint at any time.

Sexual harassment is not only destructive behavior; it is against the law. The federal government has issued guidelines on sexual harassment, which state that sexual harassment is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The regulation states that:

"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors; and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose of effect of reasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive work environment." The law does not differentiate between the sexes.

The Army’s policy is to prevent and sexual harassment in its workforce. 

If You Are Sexually Harassed

You have the right to file a complaint with the EEO Office or report it to your supervisor or manager. For military personnel, contact the Equal Opportunity Office or the Inspector General's Office.

There are a number of other personnel actions you can take as well:

• Be assertive. Confront the harasser at the first sign of trouble.  Do not hint.  Without smiles, evasion, or apologies, let the harasser know the behavior is unwelcome and offensive.  If you can't do it alone, ask a friend to witness your discussion with the harasser.
• Tell the harasser you will report him or her. Tell the harasser that you will notify his/her supervisor or other appropriate authorities if the unwelcome behavior continues. If the harassment continues talk to your friends/co-workers, write down everything that happened, avoid being alone with the harasser, and report it to the proper officials and get help.
• Keep a diary. Document all incidents of sexual harassment.  Keep a record of the harasser's behavior, with dates, times, and places.  Detail all the circumstances to include the names of witnesses.  Get witnesses to document what they heard or saw.
• Talk to co-workers, ask if this has happened before. Assume that there is no such thing as a first time harasser -- if you are being harassed, more often than not, he/she has sexually harassed someone else.
• Get and keep performance documents. This includes any memos or letters of praise.  Evidence of satisfactory work is important protection against a harassing supervisor's possible later charges of incompetence or instability.  If your harasser retaliates by badmouthing your work, these records will disprove such allegations.
• Report incidents to officials or to your supervisor/manager.

If You Observe Sexual Harassment

• Document all incidents. Keep detailed, accurate notes, specifying dates, times, places, etc.
• Share observations with the victims and appropriate officials.
• If you are aware of other individuals whom the harasser has harassed, let the victim know.
• Do not openly discuss what you witnessed with uninvolved individuals.
• And report it to officials listed in this pamphlet or to your supervisor or manager.

The EEO Office is located on Schofield Barracks in Building 690 (Aloha Center).