External Enforcement
CRC's Office of External Enforcement (OEE) and Office of Compliance and Policy (OCAP) both support CRC's responsibility to administer and enforce the laws that apply to recipients of financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and its predecessor, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA); American Job Center partners listed in WIOA/WIA Section 121(b) that offer programs or activities through the workforce development system; State and local governments and other public entities operating programs and activities related to labor and the workforce; and any recipients of financial assistance from, or programs conducted by, DOL that are not included in the categories above. A few examples include WIOA/WIA programs for adults, youth, and dislocated workers; Federal employment and training programs for Native Americans and migrant and seasonal farm workers; State employment services programs; Unemployment Insurance; the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for older workers; Job Corps; Trade Assistance Act Programs; and other grant programs administered by DOL agencies, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service.
The various laws administered by CRC that apply to a particular external program or activity, differ in their scope. Taken together, those laws generally forbid discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion (including failure to accommodate) , sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability (including failure to provide accessible facilities, accommodations or modifications, or equally effective communications), and political affiliation or belief.
In specific circumstances, as noted below, the laws enforced by CRC also forbid:
- Discrimination on the following basis:
- Citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States (applicable to beneficiaries of WIOA/WIA-related programs or other programs or activities offered by a One-Stop partner through the One-Stop system).
- Participation in a program or activity that receives financial assistance under WIOA Title I or WIA Title I.
- Sexual orientation or status as a parent (prohibited in Federally-conducted education and training programs, such as Job Corps).
- Retaliation against, or intimidation of, anyone who takes any of the following actions related to nondiscrimination or equal opportunity in any of the covered programs and activities:
- Filing a discrimination complaint;
- Opposing a practice that is made illegal by civil rights law; or
- Giving information to, testifying at, or in any other way taking part in an investigation, a compliance review, a hearing, or any other type of civil rights-related activity.
OEE processes, investigates, and adjudicates complaints alleging discrimination on any of the above bases, or alleging retaliation, by the recipients, partners, and programs listed above.
OCAP conducts compliance reviews of the same recipients, partners, and programs. OCAP reviews the Methods of Administration (MOA) nondiscrimination plans required of States under the WIOA/WIA. OCAP also develops and publishes regulations and guidance, and provides training and technical assistance for internal and external stakeholders and other interested parties.
File a Complaint with the Office of External Enforcement
The Office of Compliance and Policy (OCAP) conducts compliance reviews of the same recipients, partners, and programs listed above. The reviews conducted by OCAP include reviews of the Methods of Administration (MOA) nondiscrimination plans that all Governors are required to prepare, submit, and follow. OCAP also develops regulations, and provides training and compliance assistance for internal and external stakeholders and other interested parties, related to the laws CRC administers that are applicable to external entities. The training and technical assistance is provided in a number of ways, including partnering with other DOL agencies to produce guidance documents and other tools.
Training and Compliance Assistance
Quick Links
Other Federal Civil Rights Offices
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Civil Rights Office
U.S. Department of Transportation, Civil Rights Office
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Civil Rights
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Civil Rights
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission
Other Websites
Limited English Proficiency, A Federal Interagency Website
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Home Page
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy