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Equal Opportunity Complaints

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against by a program or activity financed or conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) can file a complaint with CRC. Under the Civil Rights laws and regulations enforced by CRC , it is against the law for any recipient of federal financial assistance from DOL to discriminate on the following grounds:

  • Against any individual in the United States and its territories, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief; and
  • Against any beneficiary of programs on the basis of the beneficiary's citizenship or status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or his or her participation in any Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) Title I financially assisted program or activity.

Under Title I of the WIA the recipient of federal financial assistance must not discriminate in any of the following areas:

  • Deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIA Title I financially assisted program or activity;
  • Providing opportunities for persons participating in such a program or activity; or
  • Making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity.

How to File an Equal Opportunity Complaint

Filing a Complaint with Financial Recipient's Equal Opportunity Officer

Prior to filing with the CRC, if you feel you have been subjected to discrimination by a Title I financially assisted program or activity you may file a complaint with the recipient's designated Equal Opportunity (EO) Officer. The recipient's EO Officer is responsible for processing the discrimination complaints it receives and issuing a determination. The complainant may also choose to file with CRC within 120 days after filing with the recipient's EO Officer.

Filing a Complaint with CRC

A complainant may file a complaint directly with CRC; the complaint must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. CRC may extend the filing time for good cause.
A complaint may be filed in writing or by completing CRC's Complaint Information Form and Privacy Act Consent Form, which may be obtained either from the recipient's EO Officer or from CRC. See links to the forms below.

  • Complaint Information Form - English [PDF]
  • Complaint Information Form - Spanish [PDF]

A complainant may mail, e-mail, or fax a complaint to:

Director
Civil Rights Center
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Room N-4123
Washington, DC 20210

Voice: (202) 693-6502 / TTY: (202) 693-6516
Fax: (202) 693-6505
Email: CRCExternalComplaints@dol.gov

The complainant must complete the complaint form and include the following information:

  1. The name and contact information of the complainant
  2. The name and contact information for the recipient that committed the alleged discriminatory act(s)
  3. A description of the alleged discriminatory act(s) in sufficient detail to understand what act(s) occurred, when the act(s) occurred, and the basis for the alleged discrimination
  4. The signature of the complainant, or the signature of the complainant's authorized representative

The complainant has the right to be represented by an attorney or advocate. Written notice from the complainant must be provided to CRC, identifying the representative.

CRC Complaint Processing

All incoming complaints are evaluated for CRC jurisdiction and timeliness. If CRC determines the complaint is untimely filed, or that CRC does not have jurisdiction, the complaint will not proceed to the next level of investigation. In instances where CRC does not have jurisdiction over a complaint, efforts may be taken to refer the complainant to the appropriate federal agency.

A CRC Investigator is assigned to collect relevant information pertaining to the complaint. To facilitate fact finding, complainants may be requested to provide additional information or documents in order to further investigate the complaint.

CRC notifies complainants of the results of the findings of the discrimination complaint in writing.
A recipient may not retaliate against a person who has filed a complaint, testified, or participated in any manner in an investigation or equal opportunity proceeding.