Equal Employment Opportunity: Pilot Projects Could Help Test Solutions to Long-standing Concerns with the EEO Complaint Process.GAO-09-712 August 12, 2009Delays in processing federal equal employment opportunity (EEO EEO Equal Employment Opportunity EEO Equal Employment Office EEO Eastern European Outreach (Murrieta, CA) EEO Extremely Elliptical Orbit EEO Exotic Electro-Optics, Inc. ) complaints, apparent or perceived lack of fairness and impartiality in complaint processing, and fear of retaliation RETALIATION. The act by which a nation or individual treats another in the same manner that the latter has treated them. For example, if a nation should lay a very heavy tariff on American goods, the United States would be justified in return in laying heavy duties on the manufactures and in the workplace have been long-standing concerns of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC EEOC abbr. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC n abbr (US) (= Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) → comisión que investiga discriminación racial o sexual en el empleo ), other federal agencies, and Congress. Based on a Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act mandate, GAO analyzed (1) factors that EEO practitioners have identified as impeding the fair, prompt, and impartial processing of federal EEO complaints and (2) actions that EEO practitioners and other stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. think could be taken to help address those factors. GAO also identified actions that EEOC is taking to improve the federal complaint process. GAO surveyed 65 EEO practitioners representing a wide cross section of professionals knowledgeable about the federal EEO complaint process, who were selected from 16 federal agencies that accounted for about 88 percent of complaints filed in fiscal year 2005, EEOC, and private sector attorneys' offices. GAO did not assess the validity of practitioners' views or evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives. GAO analyzed and grouped into eight, the factors that EEO practitioners identified as those they believed impeded the fair, prompt, and impartial processing of federal EEO complaints: (1) lack of accountability by some agency officials and EEOC practitioners in carrying out their responsibilities; (2) lack of sufficient resources by some EEO programs and EEOC to fulfill their responsibilities; (3) lack of independence by some agency officials, including undue interference by some agency legal counsel and human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. officials in EEO matters; (4) insufficient knowledge and skills by some agency officials and EEO practitioners; (5) lack of authority by some EEO officials to dismiss cases that have no merit and lack of subpoena subpoena (səpē`nə) [Lat.,=under penalty], in law, an order to a witness to appear before a court. A subpoena ad testificandum [Lat. power by EEOC administrative judges (AJ); (6) lack of clarity in regulation and some guidance and consistent decisions from EEOC; (7) lack of effective communication by some EEO practitioners of relevant oral and written information to participants and that alternative dispute resolution Procedures for settling disputes by means other than litigation; e.g., by Arbitration, mediation, or minitrials. Such procedures, which are usually less costly and more expeditious than litigation, are increasingly being used in commercial and labor disputes, Divorce is available; and (8) lack of a firm commitment by some agency management and EEO officials to the EEO process. The practitioners' views do not represent the official views of the selected agencies and should not be generalized to conclude that all federal agencies and EEO practitioners are deficient de·fi·cient adj. 1. Lacking an essential quality or element. 2. Inadequate in amount or degree; insufficient. deficient a state of being in deficit. in all factors identified. Also, a few stakeholders GAO contacted stated that without the perception that the complaint process is fair, people may choose to not participate in it; GAO believes this concern is important and has been accounted for within the discussion of several of the factors. EEO practitioners surveyed and stakeholders suggested potential solutions to address the factors practitioners identified and provided information on relevant changes their agencies had made to the process. For example, to strengthen accountability, practitioners reported establishing measures for timeliness and quality for agency EEO professionals and those contracted to perform EEO complaint functions. To strengthen EEO staff's independence, several practitioners and stakeholders offered that agencies should adhere more clearly to existing EEOC requirements on delineating the roles of the agency general counsels in the EEO process. Stakeholders offered potential advantages and disadvantages to allowing complainants to file directly with EEOC as a means to avoid real or perceived conflicts of allowing an agency to investigate a complaint against itself. Several practitioners and EEOC officials stated that providing subpoena authority to AJs could help improve the efficiency of the EEO complaint process by compelling witnesses to testify. To help agencies achieve model EEO programs, EEOC has begun to measure agencies' progress in such areas as the timeliness of investigations. In June 2008, EEOC announced a proposal that includes provisions that may address some of the factors that practitioners identified. The proposal would require that agency EEO programs comply with EEOC regulations and other guidance and that EEOC review those programs for compliance. The proposal also would permit agencies to conduct pilot projects to test new ways to process EEO complaints that are not presently included in existing regulations. Recommendations Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work. Director: George H. Stalcup Team: Government Accountability Office The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress, and thus an agency in the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. : Strategic Issues Phone: (202) 512-9490 Recommendations for Executive Action ---------- Recommendation: If pilot projects are approved by EEOC, the Acting Chairman of EEOC should direct pilot project officials to develop for each pilot project an evaluation plan that includes key features to improve the likelihood that pilot project evaluations will yield sound results, such as (1) well-defined, clear, and measurable objectives; measures that are directly linked to the program objectives; criteria for determining pilot program performance; (2) a way to isolate the effects of the pilot programs; (3) a data analysis plan for the evaluation design; and (4) a detailed plan to ensure that data collection, entry, and storage are reliable and error free. Agency Affected: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Status: In process Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. ---------- Recommendation: If pilot projects are approved by EEOC, the Acting Chairman of EEOC should direct commission staff to review and approve pilot projects' evaluation plans to increase the likelihood that evaluations will yield methodologically sound results, thereby supporting effective program and policy decisions. Agency Affected: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Status: In process Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information. Categories: Employment, Accountability, Agency protocols, Alternative dispute resolution, Claims processing, Employees, Employment, Employment discrimination, Employment opportunities, Federal agencies, Federal employees, Federal regulations, Government information dissemination dissemination Medtalk The spread of a pernicious process–eg, CA, acute infection Oncology Metastasis, see there , Grievance griev·ance n. 1. a. An actual or supposed circumstance regarded as just cause for complaint. b. A complaint or protestation based on such a circumstance. See Synonyms at injustice. 2. procedures, Investigations by federal agencies, Lawyers, Regulatory agencies, Reporting requirements, Schedule slippages |
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