Programs
Affirmative Employment Program
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) require each Installation to conduct annual self-assessments of their Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and practices to ensure free and open workplace competition. EEOC’s Management Directive 715 requires an in-depth analysis of work place practices, including recruitment, promotions, training and awards. This report is published annually. In it we compare our civilian workforce with local civilian labor force (CLF) data for most positions, and the national civilian labor force (NCLF) for positions that are filled through nation-wide recruitment. The CLF and NCLF are based on data from the Census Bureau.
The purpose of the annual status report is to work toward achievement of a workforce, at all grade levels and occupational categories, that is representative of the appropriate civilian labor force. The analysis required is intended to identify practices that have an adverse effect on individuals or groups of individuals because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or handicap and to eliminate them. This does not preclude development of policies or procedures that take into account lawful consideration of these factors in order to overcome the effects of past discrimination or adverse treatment.
Disability Program
The Fort Knox policy is to fully comply with the reasonable accommodation requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under the law, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees or applicants with disabilities, unless to do so would cause undue hardship.
As a model employer, Fort Knox will strive to accommodate disabilities whether or not they are covered by the standard set forth in the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Fort Knox is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and applicants for employment in order to assure that individuals with disabilities enjoy full access to equal employment opportunity at Fort Knox. Fort Knox provides accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability requests accommodation in the application process
- An employee, who with or without accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job, requests an accommodation for work or to gain access to the workplace
- An employee with a disability requests accommodation to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment
Procedures for processing reasonable accommodation requests are described in Fort Knox Regulation 690-16: Reasonable Accommodation of Disabled Employees and Applicants for Employment.
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. Although originally designed to cover non-Federal employers, the ADA's nondiscrimination standards also apply to federal sector employees under section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, as amended, and its implementing rules.
An individual with a disability is a person who:
- Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
- Has a record of such an impairment
- Is regarded as having such an impairment
A qualified employee or applicant with a disability is an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job in question. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:
- Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities
- Job restructuring, modifying work schedules, reassignment to a vacant position
- Acquiring or modifying equipment or devices, adjusting or modifying examinations, training materials, or policies, and providing qualified readers or interpreters
An employer is required to make a reasonable accommodation to the known disability of a qualified applicant or employee if it would not impose an "undue hardship" on the operation of the employer's business. Undue hardship is defined as an action requiring significant difficulty or expense when considered in light of factors such as an employer's size, financial resources, and the nature and structure of its operation.
An employer is not required to lower quality or production standards to make an accommodation; nor is an employer obligated to provide personal use items such as glasses or hearing aids.
Title I of the ADA also covers:
- Medical Examinations and Inquiries
- Employers may not ask job applicants about the existence, nature, or severity of a disability. Applicants may be asked about their ability to perform specific job functions. A job offer may be conditioned on the results of a medical examination, but only if the examination is required for all employees entering similar positions. Medical examinations of employees must be job related and consistent with the employer's business needs.
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse
- Employees and applicants currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs are not covered by the ADA when an employer acts on the basis of such use. Tests for illegal drugs are not subject to the ADA's restrictions on medical examinations. Employers may hold illegal drug users and alcoholics to the same performance standards as other employees.
It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on disability or for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADA.
Special Emphasis Program
The Special Emphasis Program (SEP) is authorized under the provisions of the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Office and is established by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management (formerly the Civil Service Commission) and Army Regulation (AR) 690-12. The SEP is established to address and enhance the employment and advancement of minorities, women, and people with disabilities on a non-discrimination basis, by ensuring they are afforded an equal opportunity in every personnel management policy and practice.
The goals of the committee are to achieve a civilian work force in which women, minorities and the disabled are represented in every major organizational element, occupational category, and grade level commensurate with their representation in the relevant civilian work force. These goals and objectives are to be integrated into all aspects of civilian personnel management, and support the objectives outlined in the annual status report.
The Special Emphasis Program Committee (SEPC) is designed to assist and support the SEP Manager. The committee provides an opportunity for more people to become involved and to make a personal commitment and contribution to the program. Committee members serve as organizational liaisons to provide information about the concerns and needs of women, minorities and the disabled in their respective organizations.
Programs sponsored by the committee focus on the career development and wider understanding of the history and status of these groups. The committee works with the Installation Equal Opportunity Office (EOO) on presenting and promoting the post-wide ethnic observances and presents a display that informs about the particular culture or group that is being featured at the Barr Library.