The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. It is ATF policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, disability (physical or mental), gender identity, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, marital status, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit-based factor.
DOJ Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
Filing an EEO as a Former ATF Employee or Job Applicant
If you believe that you have been the victim of discrimination in your work at ATF or through the ATF employment process, you must initiate contact with an ATF EEO Counselor within 45 days of (a) the alleged discrimination event, (b) the effective date of a personnel action, or (c) when you became aware of alleged discrimination, by sending an email to eeointakemailbox@atf.gov, or calling 202-648-8760.
Hiring and Employment Support
ATF is committed to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. ATF welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities, and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons. Through the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Acts 2009, ATF can hire through traditional competitive hiring processes or by means of a non-competitive, or special appointing authority. We encourage qualified individuals with disabilities to apply for our jobs.
If you are eligible for appointment under Schedule A, please contact Ashley Jordan (for all occupations other than Special Agents and Industry Operations Investigators) by phone at 202-648-7454 or by email at ashley.jordan@atf.gov or send an email to scheduleAapplicant@atf.gov for Special Agents and Industry Operations Investigators.
Definition of Disability
Not everyone with a medical condition is protected by the law. In order to be protected, a person must be qualified for the job and have a disability as defined by the law.
A person can show that he or she has a disability in one of three ways:
- A person may be disabled if he or she has a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity (such as walking, talking, seeing, hearing, or learning).
- A person may be disabled if he or she has a history of a disability (such as cancer that is in remission).
- A person may be disabled if he is believed to have a physical or mental impairment that is not transitory (lasting or expected to last six months or less) and minor (even if he does not have such an impairment).
For additional information, visit the official website of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Affirmative Action Plan
Under 29 C.F.R. §1614.203(e), federal agencies must report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) their affirmative action plans for persons with disabilities and persons with targeted disabilities, and describe how their plan will improve the recruitment, hiring, advancement, and retention of these individuals.
FY 2019 Affirmative Action Plan
Reasonable Accommodations
ATF provides reasonable accommodations, upon request, for persons with disabilities when necessary during the application, interview and hiring process (such as the need for forms in alternate formats or the use of a sign language interpreter during the interview). In addition, the Bureau provides reasonable accommodations to its employees who require additional assistance in carrying out their duties as a result of a disability. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is decided on a case-by-case basis.
For more information, please view ATF Order 2956.3A, Reasonable Accommodation.
If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact Beatrice Schmidt, Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator, by email at Beatrice.Schmidt@atf.gov or by phone at 202-648-7677.
Personal Assistant Services
Federal agencies are required to provide personal assistant services (PAS) during working hours to qualified persons with disabilities, who need assistance with performing activities of daily living that an individual would typically perform if he or she did not have a disability, and that is not otherwise required as an accommodation. These services include, for example, assistance with removing and putting on clothing, eating, and using the restroom. Individuals may use the DOJ reasonable accommodation process to request PAS.
For more information, please visit the EEOC's page on frequently asked questions about PAS.
Special Appointing Authorities
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established special appointing authorities for people with disabilities. DOJ has the authority to use a special appointing authority to hire a qualified person with a disability for vacant positions. These special appointing authorities include:
- 5 CFR 213.3102(ll) for hiring readers, interpreters and personal assistants. This excepted authority is used to appoint readers, interpreters and personal assistants for employees with severe disabilities.
- 5 CFR 213.3102(t) for hiring people with intellectual disabilities. This excepted authority is used to appoint persons with intellectual disabilities who have demonstrated satisfactory performance through a temporary appointment, or have been certified as likely to succeed in performing the duties of the job. They may qualify for conversion to permanent status after two years of satisfactory service.
- 5 CFR 213.3102(u) for hiring people with severe physical disabilities. This excepted authority is used to appoint persons with severe physical disabilities who have demonstrated satisfactory performance through a temporary appointment, or have been certified as likely to succeed in performing the duties of the job. After two years of satisfactory service, they may qualify for conversion to permanent status.
- 5 CFR 213.3102(gg) for hiring people with psychiatric disabilities who have demonstrated their ability to perform satisfactorily under a temporary appointment [such as one authorized in 213.3102(i)(3)] or who are certified as likely to be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, by a state vocational rehabilitation counselor, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Benefits Administration psychologist, vocational rehabilitation counselor, or psychiatrist. Upon completion of 2 years of satisfactory service under this authority, the employee can be converted, at the discretion of the agency, to competitive status under the provisions of Executive Order 12125 as amended by Executive Order 13124.
Accessibility and Section 508
ATF is committed to providing access to our internal and external websites for employees and individuals of the general public with disabilities in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 508 requires us to ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access and use by individuals without disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on ATF.
If you have a disability and the format of any material on our website interferes with your ability to access the information, please let us know through our website feedback form.
Architectural Barriers Act
The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 4151--57) mandates that all facilities that are designed, built, altered, or leased with federal funds must be accessible for people with disabilities. The Access Board is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the ABA.
Visit the Access Board's website to learn about ABA standards and how to file a complaint.