Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights (EEOCR)

The EEOCR manages the Commission’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint process, with oversight from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – an independent Federal agency. The EEO complaint process may be used by Commission employees and applicants for employment to raise issues of discrimination based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender, and sexual orientation), religion, national origin, genetic information, age (40 years of age and older, disability (mental and physical), and reprisal.

The EEO Complaint Process is administered in accordance with Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 1614 Section 105 (29 CFR 1614.105) and is governed by federal anti-discrimination laws and regulations, management directives, and guidance related to EEO, as well as applicable federal court case.

The EEO Complaint Process consists of three parts:

Part 1 – Informal

The informal process, also called EEO Counseling, provides an opportunity to define the complainant’s concerns, obtain information necessary to address the issues, and attempt to resolve the issues informally. The complainant can either elect traditional EEO counseling or alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The process is administered by FERC’s EEO Counselors. You must contact an EEO Counselor within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory action. EEOC regulations require that you seek EEO counseling before filing a formal complaint.

Part 2 – Formal

If the dispute is not settled during counseling or through ADR, you can file a formal discrimination complaint against the Commission. During this stage, the Commission will review the complaint and decided whether the complaint meets procedural requirements established by regulation. If the complaint is accepted, an investigation is conducted. When the investigation is finished, the Commission will issue a notice giving you two choices: (1) request a hearing before an EEOC Administrative Judge or (2) ask the Commission to issue a final agency decision (FAD).

Part 3- Appeal

The appeal stage allows the complainants to file an appeal of the Commission’s FADs to the EEOC or request for reconsideration of the EEOC decision on your appeal.

EEO Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

EEO Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is also available throughout both the informal and formal complaint processes if the complaint is determined to be suitable for ADR. At FERC, when parties agree to use ADR to attempt to resolve EEO complaints or other workplace disputes, the ADR method used is mediation. Mediation is an informal meeting between parties that is conducted by a neutral third-party mediator. The mediator does not decide who is right or wrong or issue a decision. The role of the mediator is to facilitate conversation between the parties and explore acceptable resolution options or develop proposals that might move the parties closer to resolution.

For more information on the EEO complaint process, please click on the EEO Complaint Process Flowchart.

For questions about the EEO complaint process or to initiate an EEO complaint, contact an EEO Counselor or the EEO Complaint Director, Kadia Givner at 202-502-6429 or Kadia.Givner@ferc.gov.

The EEOCR manages FERC’s Disability Program and is responsible for providing guidance and oversight to ensure the Commission complies with legal and statutory requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 including but not limited to providing reasonable accommodations, personal assistance services (PAS), and developing affirmative action plans to increase the recruitment, hiring, and retention of employees and applicants for employment.

Accordingly, FERC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified employees or applicants for employment with disabilities, unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Reasonable accommodations are provided to remove barriers that prevent individuals with disabilities from applying for jobs, performing the essential functions of a job or gaining access to the workplace, and enjoying equal benefits and privileges of employment.

In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, FERC also provides Personal Assistance Services (PAS). PAS are non-medical services that allow “employees with targeted disabilities to fully participate in the workplace by providing assistance with activities of daily living that an individual would typically perform if they did not have a disability, and that is not otherwise required as a reasonable accommodation, including, for example, assistance with removing and putting on clothing, eating, and using the restroom. PAS must be performed by a personal assistance service provider.  Also, PAS must be provided to employees who need them when they telework under an agency's telework policy or telework as a reasonable accommodation.”

To learn more about reasonable accommodations or PAS, please review FERC’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and Procedures.

For assistance with requesting a reasonable accommodation or PAS, please send inquiries to the Disability Manager inbox at Disability.Manager@ferc.gov. 

The EEOCR oversees FERC’s Affirmative Employment Program and is responsible for reviewing management and personnel practices that may impede or inhibit employees from the achievement of equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. The Affirmative Employment Program strives to achieve diversity in the workplace through efforts of outreach, recruitment, retention and advancement of all persons. Programs are required by 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1614, Executive Order (EO) 11478, and other laws and regulations that prohibit employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. Such programs, mandate that agencies promote the full realization of equal employment opportunity and generate plans that contain workforce analysis of the distribution of each group compared to the benchmark, identifying areas where the group has a low or less than expected participation rate and responsive strategies that address identified barriers.

For questions about FERC’s Special Emphasis and Affirmative Employment Programs, please contact Faith Wade at 202-502-8827 or Faith.Wade@ferc.gov; Makalah Atkinson at 202-502-8178 or Makalah.Atkinson@ferc.gov; Raquel Snowden at 202-502-6748 or Raquel.Snowden@ferc.gov. 

Special Emphasis Programs

Special Emphasis Programs (SEP) are an integral part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Program. The term, "Special Emphasis Programs," refers specifically to employment-related programs which focus special attention on groups that are conspicuously absent or have less than expected participation in a specific occupational category or grade level in the agency's workforce. These programs serve as a channel for management officials and employees and applicants for employment to gain awareness and understanding of the issues affecting certain demographic groups. 

The goals of the Special Emphasis Programs are to:

• Improve employment and advancement opportunities for women, minorities, and people with disabilities in the Federal service by using their skills more fully.
• Identify systemic barriers and monitor agency progress in eliminating barriers that may adversely impact women, minorities, and people with disabilities in employment and agency programs.
• Promote and foster diversity in the workplace through awareness, education, and special observances.

FERC has designated the following employee resource groups to support the Commission’s Special Emphasis Programs:

• Accessible FERC (Disability Employment Program)
• African American Employee Resource Group (Black Employment Program)
• American Indian Alaska Native Employment Program (AIANEP)
• Asian Pacific Americans of FERC (Asian American Pacific Islander Employment Program)
• EL FERC (Hispanic Employment Program)
• FERC Military Veterans (Veterans Employment Program)
• Queer Employee Resource Group - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQIA+)
• Women emPOWERing Women (Federal Women’s Program)

Special Emphasis Observances

Special Emphasis Observances are also a way of commemorating activities that are educational, and employment-related. Special Emphasis Observances are implemented by Presidential Proclamations, Executive Orders, and Public Law.
Special Emphasis Observance Calendar