EEO Complaints Program
Federal employees and applicants for employment with Federal agencies may file individual or class complaints of discrimination with the agency that allegedly discriminated against them. A discrimination complaint may be filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act, or the Equal Pay Act. As an aggrieved person, an employee or applicant may allege discrimination on the basis(es) of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age (over 40), physical or mental disability, genetic information, status as a parent, or retaliation for participating in EEO activities or for opposing unlawful discrimination. Harassment is a form of discrimination that can be present with any basis.
An employee alleging discrimination or harassment must contact an EEO Counselor and initiate pre-complaint counseling within 45 days of the occurrence of the matter alleged to be discriminatory or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 days of the effective date of the action, or the date that (s) he became aware, or should have been aware, of the alleged offense.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusive Workforce Management (ODIWM) is responsible for processing complaints of discrimination that are based on sex, color, race, religion, age (over 40), disability (mental or physical), national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a parent, or reprisal for prior participation in the EEO process. ODIWM is involved in two of the stages of the complaint process: the pre-complaint stage (also referred to as the informal or counseling stage) and the formal stage.
Additional Links
Acceptance/Dismissal of Complaints
