MD715-2011 Part A through E

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
MD715 - 2011
Parts
PARTS A Through E

Enter your Agency or Component data for PARTs A through E below.

In PART E, the Executive Summary should be as short and concise as possible. Extraneous information, such as a complete iteration of the agency's strategic plan, should not be included in the Executive Summary.  Remember that the Executive Summary is intended to be an introductory summary which catches the attention of the agency's top managers and supervisors. This is to ensure their understanding of the agency's overall EEO program direction and of their expected contributions necessary for the agency to become a Model Employer.

In the Comments column, the database will accept up to 500 characters.

PART A - Department or Agency Identifying Information 

PART B - Total Employment

 

PART C.1 - Head of Agency and Head of Agency Designee 

PART C.2 - Agency Official(s) Responsible For Oversight of EEO Program(s)

 

PART D.1 - List of Subordinate Components Covered in This Report 

PART D.2 - Forms/Documents Included with This Report

 

PART E.1 - Executive Summary: Mission

 

This report covers the period of October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011, and outlines the Agency's equal employment opportunity (EEO) program activities.   The report highlights EEOC's accomplishments during Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 in attaining and maintaining a model EEO Program as well as identifying areas of improvement.  

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) mission is to promote equality of opportunity in our nations' workplaces and to enforce Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination for both public and private employers and labor organizations.  

We must work diligently to ensure equal employment opportunities for our employees and applicants for employment, and increase employee participation in internal programs and activities which lead to enhanced opportunity within the agency. Equal access to employment opportunities in the workplace is critical to accomplishing our goal of attracting, recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining a quality diverse workforce that can deliver results and ensure mission success. Therefore, we must continue to ensure that we have an engaged, productive, and diverse workforce.

As the federal agency charged with the enforcement of this nation's employment discrimination laws, the EEOC has a unique and profoundly important role in the government's anti-discrimination efforts.   Accordingly, it is the Commission's policy to ensure equal opportunity in all of its employment policies and practices and to prohibit discrimination in all aspects of the agency's operations.    As part of our mission, the EEOC must set the example for all other agencies to provide equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants regardless of their race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, family medical history, or genetic information.   Moreover, consistent with Presidential Executive Orders and other laws designed to protect federal employees, we must vigilantly prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, military service, or any other non-merit based factor.   These commitments must be exemplified in all of our management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions, and training and career development programs.

Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) oversees efforts to ensure non-discrimination in programs operated or funded by the Agency. The OEO program ensures individuals are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to prohibited discrimination under programs or activities conducted by the Agency.

 

The Office of Equal Opportunity also oversees the Agency's EEO complaint processing functions.

EEOC's Strategic Plan

The EEOC has set six goals to support the agency's commitment to EEO:

Goal 1 - Create and sustain an environment that acknowledges and celebrates diversity and employs inclusive practices throughout daily operations;

Goal 2 - Identify barriers leading to underrepresentation rates in SES and senior grades, and take appropriate corrective action;

Goal 3 - Conduct Strategic Outreach to Communicate the Agency's Commitment to an Inclusive Workforce;

Goal 4 - Communicate OEO's Role and Function to Agency Staff;

Goal 5 - Cultivate and Nurture a High-Performing OEO Workforce; and

Goal 6 - Ensure OEO is prepared to timely submit MD-715;

PART E.2 - Executive Summary: Essential Element A 

Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien reaffirmed her commitment to EEO and diversity at the Agency by timely reissuing her policy statement in support of equal employment opportunity and diversity and a workplace free of discriminatory harassment on January 31, 2011, and the policy statement was communicated via email to all EEOC employees. The agency also ensures that its EEO Policies are disseminated to all new employees during orientation and are available on the intranet and public internet site if applicable. 

  

The Agency Leadership ensures all employees and all newly promoted managers and supervisors receive copies of the EEO Policies as a reminder of their role and responsibility in providing a discrimination/harassment free work environment. In addition, the Agency continues to require management to participate in ADR when employees elect mediation during the EEO process.  

In addition, EEOC's Reasonable Accommodation policy and procedures are easily accessible to all employees and applicants via our internal and external websites. All managers and supervisors have been trained on their responsibilities under the procedures for reasonable accommodation.

EEOC's policies, orders and directives on EEO matters can be found on EEOC's public internet site located at http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/index.cfm.     EEOC also makes written materials available to all employees and applicant, informing them of the variety of EEO programs and administrative and judicial remedial procedures available to them through our internet and intranet sites. EEOC's internet site is located at http://www.eeoc.gov.

EEOC maintains its own performance appraisal form for managers and supervisors and has incorporated a critical element to evaluate managers and supervisors on their commitment to EEO policies and principles. The SES performance plan also incorporates the required critical element that evaluates the SES's commitment to the EEOC's EEO policies and principles.

PART E.3 - Executive Summary: Essential Element B

The Director of OEO reports directly to the Chair of the Agency and is considered part of the Agency's senior management. The OEO Director regularly participates in Senior Staff meetings, has regular access to the Chair and the Deputy Chief Operating Officer to discuss any EEO related matters, and meets with a member of the Chair's staff on a weekly basis.

 

Furthermore, the Agency's MD-715 report will be disseminated to each office director and CD-ROM copies of the report will be sent to each District Office.   For FY 2012, the OEO Director will schedule meetings with each District Director and Headquarters Office Director to discuss their workforces.  

PART E.4 - Executive Summary: Essential Element C 

MD-715 guidance requires that all managers, supervisors and EEO Officials be responsible for the effective implementation of the Agency's EEO Program.   To that end, the Chief Human Capital Officer and the OEO Director have periodic meetings to discuss issues relating to EEO and other workplace issues.   In FY 2012, OEO and the Office of Human Resources are coordinating with other Commission offices on a wide-range of projects, including the Agency's plan to implement Executive Order 13515, Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs, and Executive Order 13583, Establishing a Coordinated Government-Wide Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Federal Workforce, Executive Order 13171, Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government, Executive Order 13163, Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government, and proactive prevention including barrier identification and elimination.

PART E.5 - Executive Summary: Essential Element D 

In an effort to prevent discriminatory actions and eliminate barriers to EEO in the workplace, the RESOLVE Program is utilized as a highly effective tool in the early resolution of all types of workplace disputes.   All individuals who contact OEO for counseling are offered ADR, and Complainants are able to elect ADR at any stage of the EEO process.

As part of the Commission's ongoing effort to identify barriers to equal opportunity within its workforce, OEO will provide The Office of the Chair a state of the workforce summary. In addition, OEO is preparing comprehensive EEO Reports for each District and Headquarters (HQ) Office.   These reports provide District Directors and HQ Office Directors with information about hiring and separation trends, promotions and EEO complaint data in their offices.

 

PART E.6 - Executive Summary: Essential Element E 

In an effort to improve the effectiveness of the Agency's EEO Programs, and ensure an efficient and fair dispute resolution process, the Agency plans to improve on the number of days it takes to issue Final Decisions where a hearing is not requested, as well as on the number of days required to complete an EEO Investigation.   To this end, OEO has created a new OEO Workflow Plan and Data Tracking Sheet to ensure accurate tracking of all deadlines related to EEO complaint activity and OEO Director and Deputy Director have weekly meetings with investigators to assess their progress and to answer questions.   OEO continues to measure its results in accordance with year-end complaint statistical data report, FORM 462.

 

PART E.7 - Executive Summary: Essential Element F 

MD-715 guidance requires that the Agency be in full compliance with EEO statutes, EEOC regulations, EEOC policy guidance and other written instructions.   Examples of Agency actions which were taken to be in full legal compliance included the following: the Agency consistently posts its quarterly No FEAR Act data on its external website in a timely manner in accordance with 29 C.F.R. Section 1614.703-705; provides No FEAR Act training to all employees as prescribed; the Office of Human Resources received and considered 133 reasonable accommodation requests during FY 2011, with an average processing time of twenty-seven calendar days for these requests; the Office of Human Resources partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project to publicize Vacancy Announcements and developed a budget for recruitment and outreach; the Office of Human Resources improved publicity for Attorney Vacancy Announcements to reach a government-wide audience for Excepted Service Jobs to include veteran applicants; and, finally, the Agency issued policy and guidance on how to apply consideration to qualified preference-eligible veterans.  

PART E.8 - Executive Summary: Workforce Analyses 

EEOC estimates that approximately 514 of the agency's permanent workforce were retirement eligible at the end of FY2011. We are also in an environment of budget cuts and hiring freezes. Therefore, to ensure we have a workforce to meet the mission, EEOC must work to attract diverse talent into its ranks and be seen as a great place to launch and build a career. These emerging professionals potentially offer a diversity of skill sets and innovative ideas that could expand EEOC's overall expertise and better represent the population we serve. We must also ensure we retain our top talent, put succession strategies in place and work to develop our employees and create an inclusive work environment. This is particularly difficult in the harsh budget and political climate the Agency currently faces.

PART E.9 - Executive Summary: Accomplishments

 

In FY2011, OEO provided leadership, direction and guidance in carrying out the Agency's equal employment opportunity and diversity.   OEO and OHR administered the Agency-wide equal employment opportunity and diversity program by providing policy, oversight and technical guidance for EEOC, on affirmative employment, special emphasis program areas, diversity, and EEO complaint processing.

OEO also provided or arranged training and education to agency staff on diverse subjects such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, LGBT issues, the Great Migration of African Americans in the South, Macro and Micro Inequities, Racial Discrimination, and EEO Complaint Process training. In addition, OEO staff attended Affinity Group national conferences and led sessions on topics such as Disabilities, EEO complaint processing, Diversity and Reasonable Accommodation issues.

PART E.10 - Executive Summary: Planned Activities

 

Outreach to Affinity groups will continue in FY2012, with special emphasis on AAPI groups, Hispanics, Veterans, and Persons with Disabilities, as prescribed in the above-mentioned Executive Orders.

Educational offerings to the EEOC staff will continue throughout the year and will be broadcast agency-wide.

Staff will represent the EEOC at various conferences throughout the year, including FAPAC (Federal Asian Pacific American Council), LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) and International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals.