U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
PRESS RELEASE
7-24-12
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a final rule modifying certain aspects of the complaint process that is used by federal employees and applicants who believe they have been subjected to prohibited employment discrimination by federal agencies. The final rule was coordinated with other federal agencies and reviewed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. The rule was posted for public inspection today and will be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, July 25, 2012.
The final rule contains a number of key revisions to 29 CFR Part 1614 (“Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity”):
Major revisions to the federal sector EEO complaint process were last implemented in 1999. Since then, in response to stakeholder dissatisfaction with certain elements of the process, the EEOC has held a public meeting on federal sector reform. It also established a Commissioner-led Federal Sector Workgroup to obtain suggestions for reform from complainants, agencies, unions, civil rights groups, and other stakeholders. This final rule is a product of the recommendations of the workgroup and the comments the EEOC received from the public and during the inter-agency coordination process. The Commission will revise Management Directive 110 to provide additional guidance regarding the changes made by the final rule and will continue to assess the federal sector EEO complaint process with a view to further improvements.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its public web site at www.eeoc.gov.