The Office of Internal Enforcement (OIE) administers the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) internal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program by counseling, facilitating ADR, investigating, and adjudicating complaints filed by DOL employees and applicants for DOL employment who allege discrimination because of race; color; religion; sex; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and retaliation for engaging in protected EEO activity. OIE also provides training and technical assistance on EEO matters to DOL managers, supervisors, and employees. Additionally, OIE advises Departmental management on issues affecting EEO and develops and implements relevant Departmental policies and procedures.

How to File a Complaint with Internal Enforcement

The EEO complaint process has two distinct phases, the Informal Process and the Formal Process, each with specific steps, timelines, and requirements. Both are described in more detail in the Internal Enforcement Complaint Process.  The following provides a snapshot only.

Initiating a Complaint

You may initiate the EEO process in one of two ways:

Informal EEO Process (Required First Step)

Initiated by contacting an EEO Counselor or the CRC within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory act or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action. An EEO Counselor will conduct an initial interview with the aggrieved individual and begin fact-finding in an attempt to resolve the matter informally within 30 calendar days from the date of the initial contact. If unresolved, you will receive a Notice of Right to File a Formal Complaint.  Counseling may be extended upon agreement of both CRC and the aggrieved individual up to 60 additional days if more time is needed to attempt a resolution. The aggrieved individual may elect, at the time of initial contact, a process which attempts resolution through mediation or alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

Formal EEO Process

If your allegation of discrimination is not resolved through the informal EEO process, you may elect to file a formal complaint. A written formal complaint must be filed with OIE within 15 calendar days of receiving the Notice of Right to File. Upon receipt, OIE will review the complaint and issue a written acknowledgment. If accepted, OIE will conduct an impartial investigation within 180 calendar days of filing unless the complaint is amended or the parties agrees to extend the investigation. Following the investigation, you may request an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Administrative Judge hearing or an OIE Final Agency Decision (FAD). After a decision is issued by the EEOC or OIE, appeal rights are available through the EEOC Office of Federal Operations or federal district court. Specific deadlines will be provided in your decision notice.

Questions

You may contact the Civil Rights Center (CRC) at (202) 693-6500. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. You may also contact the CRC at CivilRightsCenter@dol.gov.

Additional Resources

Harassing Conduct

DOL's Harassing Conduct in the Workplace Policy (HCWP) is administered by the Office of Human Resources (OHR). Complaints of violations of the HCWP can be made with the Anti-Harassing Conduct Team (AHCT) at HC-Complaints@dol.gov.

Please note that filing a harassing conduct complaint with the AHCT is not the same as filing an EEO complaint with the Civil Rights Center and does not preserve your rights under  29 C.F.R. 1614. If you wish to file an EEO complaint, contact a DOL EEO Counselor or the OIE Informal Complaint Team using the contact information above.