Internal Enforcement
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Disability Discrimination in the DOL Workplace: Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), prohibits employment discrimination in the Federal government against qualified persons on the basis of a disability. In enacting the ADAAA, Congress made it easier for an individual seeking protection and/or a reasonable accommodation to establish that he or she has a disability within the meaning of the statute.
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Religious Expression in the DOL Workplace: Effective work environments are created and maintained through collegial professional relationships. It is not uncommon for colleagues to share information about their personal lives in developing and sustaining these relationships. Often, co-workers discuss their personal views regarding current events, entertainment or even political affairs. Co-workers may also discuss religion and engage in religious expression in the workplace. This guidance, which is intended to inform such discussions, rests on the general principle that all agency employees shall be treated with the same respect and consideration, regardless of their religion (or lack thereof).
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Use of Official Time in the Federal Sector EEO Process: Department of Labor (DOL) employees who use the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint process are entitled to a reasonable amount of official time to prepare EEO complaints (against DOL) and to respond to requests for information, if otherwise on duty.[1] Employees using the EEO process are entitled to be accompanied, represented, and advised by a representative of their own choice at any stage in the process, and those representatives, if employees of the DOL, are also entitled to official time. ([1] 29 C.F.R. ยง 1614.605(b)
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What to Expect When You're Expecting (and after the birth of your child) ... at Work: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e et seq., prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.[1] Pregnancy discrimination involves treating an individual – an applicant or employee – unfavorably in any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoffs, training, fringe benefits, such as leave and health insurance, and any other terms or conditions of employment. Statutory protections from pregnancy discrimination apply to all DOL employees and applicants for DOL employment.
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Workplace Harassment: : Under federal law and Department of Labor (DOL) policy, harassment by DOL employees of DOL employees based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, or parental status is prohibited. The Department of Labor does not permit harassing conduct by anyone in the workplace, including contractors.
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Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967: Under the ADEA it is unlawful to discriminate against any individual age 40 or older because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training The ADEA permits federal agencies to favor older workers based on age, even when doing so adversely affects a younger worker who is 40 years of age or older.
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Religious Discrimination and Accommodation in the Federal Workplace: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) prohibits federal agencies from discriminating against employees or applicants for employment because of their religious beliefs in hiring, firing and other terms and conditions of employment. Additionally, Title VII requires federal agencies to reasonably accommodate the religious beliefs or practices of employees or applicants unless doing so would impose an undue hardship upon the agency.
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Retaliation for Protected EEO Activity is Unlawful: Equal employment opportunity (EEO) statutes that prohibit federal agencies, including the Department of Labor, from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information, as well as wage differences between men and women performing substantially equal work, also prohibit retaliation against individuals who oppose unlawful discrimination or participate in an employment discrimination proceeding.
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Reasonable Accommodation Guidance: The Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to providing individuals with disabilities equal access to all employment opportunities. As part of that commitment, DOL will provide reasonable accommodations to its employees and applicants for employment with disabilities to ensure that all individuals have the ability to participate equally and be fully successful in all aspects of DOL employment opportunities.
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GINA -The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008: EEOC's regulations implementing Title II of GINA, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on genetic information, became effective on January 10, 2011 This document provides an overview of the law so that managers and employees are generally informed about its significance in the workplace.
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English Only Rules Factsheet: The Federal government benefits from the substantial contributions of employees who are fluent in languages other than English. In most circumstances, employees have the right to communicate in languages other than English. This right should only be curtailed in certain narrowly-defined situations.
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Disclaimer: The U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Rights Center, Office of Internal Enforcement has jurisdiction (authority) to process complaints of discrimination filed by employees of the U.S. Department of Labor or applicants for employment with the U.S. Department of Labor only. Information contained herein only pertains to employees/applicants with the U.S. Department of Labor.