A Message to the DOE Community from the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity –
We hope that you are staying healthy and safe during the pandemic.
Given the current circumstances related to COVID-19 and recent guidance issued by the Department, the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity (OCRD) is operating in telework mode until further notice. As a result, OCRD does not have any personnel working on-site. Therefore, OCRD is unable to receive faxed or hand-delivered documents at this time related to equal employment opportunity complaints; external civil rights matters; or other civil rights, equity, and diversity matters. You may continue to send documents related to equal employment opportunity complaints; external civil rights matters; or other civil rights, equity, and diversity matters to our office by mail (mailing address: Office of Civil Rights and Diversity, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave, SW, Room 5B-168, Washington, DC 20585). However, given that our office does not currently have personnel on-site, there will be a delay in processing any documents sent to our office by mail.
As an alternative, we strongly encourage individuals who need to submit documents related to equal employment opportunity complaints; external civil rights matters; or other civil rights, equity, and diversity matters to submit such documents to the central OCRD email address: civilrights@hq.doe.gov.
If you need to reach an EEO Counselor or other member of the OCRD Team, you may call our main office phone number at 202-586-2218. If you leave a voice message, an OCRD Team Member will return your phone call.
In addition, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has consolidated relevant information about EEO laws and COVID-19 you may find helpful.
Thank you for your understanding during this time.
If you are a Department of Energy (DOE) federal employee, former employee, or applicant for employment with the DOE, you may initiate the DOE EEO complaint process if you believe that you have been discriminated against based on one or more of these factors: race; color; religion; sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation); national origin; age (40 and over); disability (physical and/or mental); genetic information; or retaliation for prior EEO activity.
INFORMAL STAGE
To initiate the EEO process, you must first contact an EEO Counselor at the DOE Office of Civil Rights/Equal Employment Opportunity office where you work or where you applied for a job, to file an informal EEO complaint. You must do so within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory act (limited exceptions apply). At the initial counseling session, you may select either traditional EEO counseling or mediation, a type of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
EEO COUNSELING
The EEO Counselor will provide you with information about your rights and responsibilities in the EEO complaint process. You have the right to request confidentiality during the informal stage of the process. With your permission, the EEO Counselor will attempt to informally resolve the dispute. If the dispute is not resolved, you will be given a Notice of Right to File a Formal Complaint. The EEO Counselor will inform you of where to file your formal complaint.
FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT
Your formal complaint must be specific, and limited only to those matters previously discussed with the EEO Counselor. The complaint will then be accepted or dismissed, based on timeliness and whether the alleged discrimination affects a term or condition of your employment, among other factors. If your complaint is accepted for processing, an investigation will be conducted. When the investigation has been completed, you will receive a copy of the Report of Investigation. In most cases, you may then request a hearing, or a Final Agency Decision without a hearing.* If your complaint is dismissed, you may generally appeal that decision to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or file a civil action in U.S. District Court.*
HEARING*
If you request a hearing, that hearing will be held by an EEOC Administrative Judge (AJ). After the hearing, the EEOC AJ will issue a decision on the complaint. The Department will then issue a Final Order, informing you of whether DOE agrees with the AJ, and whether DOE will grant any relief in your case. If you are dissatisfied with the DOE Final Order, you may appeal it to the EEOC, or file a civil action in U.S. District Court.
FINAL AGENCY DECISION WITHOUT A HEARING*
If you request a Final Agency Decision without a hearing, DOE will issue a decision on your complaint. If you are dissatisfied with the DOE Final Agency Decision, you may appeal it to the EEOC, or file a civil action in U.S. District Court.
MEDIATION
You may request mediation at any time during the complaint process. If you select mediation and management agrees to participate, a neutral third party will work with you and management in an effort to reach a settlement. If you choose to enter into mediation, the office will continue to process your EEO complaint.
*If your case is a mixed-case complaint, you do not have a right to a hearing or to appeal a DOE decision to the EEOC. However, you do have the right to appeal a DOE decision in a mixed-case complaint to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).
Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment Prevention Policy Statement
Contact an Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity Manager
To speak with an Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor or to file a complaint, call or visit your local contact (listed below).
DOE Headquarters Contact Information
Deputy Director Office of Civil Rights and Diversity | Patricia Zarate | 202-586-2248 | patricia.zarate@hq.doe.gov |
Chief Civil Rights Division | Jody TallBear | 202-287-5362 | jody.tallbear@hq.doe.gov |
Chief Equity and Diversity Division | Jaime Claudio | 202-586-9332 | jaime.claudio@hq.doe.gov |
Headquarters EEO Counseling Services:
For Headquarters EEO Counseling services, please contact the main phone line for the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity at (202) 586-2218, or email the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity at civilrights@hq.doe.gov.
Headquarters Special Emphasis Program Managers:
Federal Women's Employment Program Individuals with Disabilities Employment Program Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Employment Program | Cecily Johnson | 202-586-4579 | |
Black Employment Program Hispanic Employment Program Asian American and Pacific Islander Employment Program | Collette Bankins | 202-586-3259 | |
American Indian and Alaska Native Employment Program | Jaime Claudio | 202-586-9332 |
DOE Field Office OCR/EEO Contact Information
Bonneville Power Administration (Civil Rights/EEO) | Toya Bligen | 503-230-3566 | |
Bonneville Power Administration (Diversity and Inclusion) | Maria Mondragon-Almy | mdmondragon-almy@bpa.gov | |
| EM Consolidated Business Center | Sheila Gilliam | 513-744-0968 | |
EM Headquarters | Andre Fordham | 202-586-8568 | andre.fordham@em.doe.gov |
Golden Field Office | Brian Sutherland | ||
Idaho Operations Office | Emily Clemens | ||
National Energy Technology Laboratory | Timothy Florian | ||
National Nuclear Security Administration | Bonnie Baisden | ||
| Office of Scientific and Technical Information | Erin Anderson | ||
Richland Operations Office | Santos Ortega | 509-376-2083 | santos.ortega@rl.doe.gov |
| Savannah River Operations | Dorothy Famber | 803-952-7646 | dorothy.famber@srs.gov |
| SC Consolidated Service Center | Moses Madera | 865-576-4988 | |
Southeastern Power Administration | Joel Seymour | 706-213-3810 | joels@sepa.doe.gov |
Southwestern Power Administration | Cory Jenson | 918-595-6635 | cory.jenson@swpa.gov |
| Strategic Petroleum Reserve | Michael Anderson | 504-734-4055 | |
| Western Area Power Administration | Charles Marquez | 720-962-7040 |
