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                    *U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission*

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                        Federal Employees & Job Applicants
              


          
  Overview

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect you against employment discrimination when it involves:

Adverse treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
	Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace, because of your race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
	Denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation that you need because of your religious beliefs, disability, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
	Retaliation because you complained about job discrimination, or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.In addition to laws that EEOC enforces, there are federal protections from discrimination on other bases including status as a parent, marital status, political affiliation, and conduct that does not adversely affect the performance of the employee.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against by a federal agency, you have a right to file a complaint with that agency. The first step in alleging EEO-related discrimination is to contact an EEO Counselor at the agency within 45 calendar days of the discriminatory action. The individual may choose to participate in either EEO counseling, or in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) when the agency offers ADR. Ordinarily, counseling must be completed within 30 calendar days and ADR within 90 calendar days. At the end of counseling, or if ADR is unsuccessful, the individual may then file a complaint with the agency.

The Federal Sector Complaint Process

Overview of Complaint Process
	Contacting an EEO Counselor
	Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
	Filing a Formal Complaint
	Requesting a Hearing
	Requesting an Appeal
	Requesting Reconsideration of an Appeal
	Filing a Lawsuit in Federal CourtTypes of discrimination (facts and guidance)

Age (40 or older)
	Disability
	Equal Compensation
	Genetic Information
	National Origin
	Pregnancy
	Race / Color
	Religion
	Retaliation
	Sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity, and pregnancy)
	Sexual HarassmentOther types of discrimination prohibited in the Federal government (not enforced by EEOC)

Prohibited Practices (What can't an employer do?)

Using the EEOC Public Portal for Hearings and Appeals

The EEOC Public Portal is a secure, web-based application developed for individuals to interact with the EEOC regarding a complaint of employment discrimination. The EEOC Public Portal allows individuals who have already filed complaints and who are in the EEO complaint process to:

Create an account
	Request a hearing - have a formal EEO Complaint heard by an Administrative Judge.
	File an appeal of an agency's final decision or final action on a formal EEO Complaint.
	Identify a representative and provide their contact information
	Submit and receive documents supporting their complaint or appealFor instructions on how to access and use the Public Portal, see the EEOC Public Portal User's Guides.
      
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EEOC Public Portal

You can use the EEOC's Public Portal to file and manage hearings and appeals of EEO complaints.

If you have questions about using the EEOC's Public Portal related to a charge of discrimination, you can search for answers in

Frequently Asked QuestionsAnd in these User Guides:

​EEOC Public Portal Users Guide V1 - Getting Started ​
	EEOC Public Portal Users Guide V6 - Hearings with the EEOC
	EEOC Public Portal Users Guide V7 - Appeals to the EEOC ​
	​EEOC Public Portal Users Guide V8 - Manage Case Information ​For online technical support:

Email: digitalsupport@eeoc.gov

Call: 1-800-569-7118.Return to top

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            U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

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