EEOC TO OFFER COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING ON NEW RULES GOVERNING WORKPLACE BIAS COMPLAINTS IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR

WASHINGTON  - Ida L. Castro, Chairwoman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced a dynamic national training program on revised regulations designed to streamline the discrimination complaint system for federal employees. The program is part of EEOC's broader efforts to improve the federal sector EEO process by making it more efficient, expedient, and fairer for employees and agencies alike.

"This comprehensive training presents an invaluable opportunity for those on the front-lines of combating discrimination in the federal workplace to receive expert instruction on key aspects of the new reforms that become effective on November 9, 1999," Chairwoman Castro said.  "The program will also benefit federal workers and other stakeholders by clarifying how changes to the regulations will affect their rights."

Finalizing the changes to the federal sector regulations has been a top priority for Ms. Castro since assuming leadership of the Commission.  The final rule was issued by EEOC on July 12, 1999, and published in the Federal Register the same day (the full text of the rule, as well as other information about the federal sector process, is available on the Commission's web site at www.eeoc.gov).

The training program, entitled The New Federal EEO Complaint Process and You, will help to ensure a smooth transition by providing education on the legal and technical revisions to the federal sector regulations (29 C.F.R. Part 1614).  The one-day training seminars also offer a unique opportunity for those with a vital stake in the process to interact with and receive feedback from expert EEOC trainers, including Administrative Judges, Appellate Attorneys, and other EEOC staff.

The one-day training seminars, which combine intensive workshops and interactive presentations, will be held at over a dozen locations across the country commencing in early November and concluding in mid- January 2000.  Eligible participants will be able to receive Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) Recertification Credit.  In addition, applications have been submitted for Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credit.

The one-day training seminars are strongly recommended for federal supervisors and employees, EEO counselors and investigators, agency and employee representatives, as well as private attorneys and other parties with a stake in the federal EEO complaint process.  Topic areas will include:

• Five Things You Need to Know About Dismissing Claims: Learn           about five key changes to the dismissal provisions,           including two new dismissal bases: Abuse of Process and           Spin-off Complaints.  Presenters will also review recent           case law in light of the new revisions and use hypothetical           exercises to offer helpful tips and examine common pitfalls.
• Recognizing and Eliminating Fragmentation: This workshop           will explore the following questions: What is fragmentation?           Why is it a problem?  How can agencies address           fragmentation?  The session will address how amending and           consolidating complaints, understanding bias claims,           eliminating partial dismissals and spin-off complaints, and           eliminating remands of complaints by administrative judges,           all play a role in reducing fragmentation.
• Open Forum - An Opportunity to Ask Questions and Discuss           Answers with the Trainers: Through an interactive Q & A           session, the trainers will share practical advice on           complaint processing topics, as well as provide guidance on           how EEOC's Office of Federal Operations will apply the           revisions to existing and future case inventory.  No           question is too simple or too complex.

The registration fee ($225.00) includes a continental breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks, and training materials.  Registrants will receive written confirmation upon receipt of registration application and fee.  Registration applications may be obtained by contacting EEOC:

      By Phone:      800-569-7118 (toll free)                     202-663-7071 (EEOC Technical Assistance Program)                     202-663-7114 (TTY)       By Fax:        202-663-7014       By Internet:   www.eeoc.gov       By E-Mail:     eeo.training@eeoc.gov       By Mail:       EEOC Technical Assistance Program, P.O. Box 18198                     Washington, DC  20036-8198 

A complete listing of the dates and locations for the training is available on EEOC's web site.

EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination against individuals 40 years of age or older; sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991; the Equal Pay Act; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; and the Rehabilitation Act's prohibitions against disability discrimination in the federal government.