Form FMC-2 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

 (Rev. 07-89)

 Memorandum

TO: All Employees DATE: May 28, 2024

FROM: Chairman Daniel B. Maffei

SUBJECT: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Policy

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) reaffirms its commitment to equal opportunity in employment regardless of race, 

color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity/stereotyping), national origin, religion, age (40 years 

and older), disability (physical and/or mental), genetic information, and/or reprisal. The FMC will continue to provide a 

workplace that is free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, ensuring equal opportunity in all human

capital and employment-based decisions, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, merit promotions, transfers, 

reassignments, training and career development, benefits, and separations. 

Further, the FMC will continue to actively and consistently support and promote the principles of equal opportunity, diversity, 

inclusion, and accessibility to guarantee an environment in which employees are valued and treated with dignity and respect. 

The FMC will ensure that all employees and applicants are provided the freedom to compete for employment advancement 

opportunities on a fair and equitable playing field. The entire FMC community - executive leadership, supervisors, 

managers, and staff - will always be held accountable to maintain an environment with the highest standards of diversity, 

inclusion, accessibility, and equal employment opportunity. The FMC will not tolerate workplace harassment or reprisal 

against anyone who engages in protected activity. Protected activity includes asserting the right to be free from employment 

discrimination, including harassment, under the federal EEO laws. It can take many forms, such as filing or being a witness 

in an EEO complaint, investigation, or lawsuit, opposing discriminatory practices, or requesting a reasonable 

accommodation for a disability or religious belief.

The FMC commits to maintaining a work environment for all employees that is diverse, inclusive, and free from any unlawful 

discrimination, prohibited harassment, and retaliation in all aspects of employment policies and practices. For the FMC to 

achieve its organizational mission while maintaining the highest standards of excellence, we must continuously aim for 

inclusion and engagement of all employees. Our strength as an institution stems from the diversity of our workforce and the 

breadth of our individual and collective experiences. This policy reaffirms our commitment to support presidential executive 

orders issued to advance EEO and DEIA, including the following executive orders:

• In support of Executive Order 13548, "Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities," we will seek 

to strengthen our efforts to attract, hire, and retain individuals with disabilities by utilizing special hiring authorities,

and by providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. The FMC is committed to 

providing equal employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities and ensuring that applicants for 

employment and existing employees with disabilities are treated with the same respect and fairness that every 

employee expects and deserves in the workplace.

• In support of Executive Order 140345, “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce,” we 

will continue to ensure that the FMC contributes its talents towards the federal government-wide goal to be a model 

for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. The FMC 

acknowledges the E.O. 140345 premise that “...diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplaces yield 

higher-performing organizations.” Accordingly, the FMC will commit to providing resources and opportunities to 

strengthen and advance diversity within FMC; continue its efforts to recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain talent 

that contributes to our mission and reaffirm our commitment to remove barriers to equal opportunity. 
Employees who believe they are experiencing or have witnessed harassment should bring their concerns immediately to 

the attention of the appropriate management officials, as outlined in the FMC’s policy and procedures for the prevention 

and elimination of workplace harassment. The FMC Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedures are detailed in Commission 

Order 128. 

Employees or applicants for employment shall have full access to equal employment opportunity at the FMC. The FMC 

shall provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees and applicants with disabilities, provided that doing so 

does not cause an undue hardship for the FMC. Additionally, the FMC shall provide personal assistance services to 

employees, with targeted disabilities who need such services because of their targeted disability. The FMC Reasonable 

Accommodation & Personal Assistance Services Policy and Procedures are detailed in Commission Order 58.

Employees and applicants for FMC employment who believe they have been subjected to any form of discrimination, 

harassment, or reprisal, and wish to pursue an EEO complaint must contact an EEO Counselor at the FMC within 45 

calendar days of the date of the alleged discriminatory, harassing or reprisal action. Retaliation against an employee who 

reports unlawful discrimination or harassment or participates in the EEO process is strictly prohibited. In the case of a 

personnel action, contact must be made within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the personnel action. To contact an 

EEO Counselor, please call (202) 523-5859 or email eeo@fmc.gov. 

My personal commitment as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission is that all employees and applicants for 

employment will be treated with dignity and respect. In furtherance of this policy, managers and supervisors should 

proactively and routinely consider diversity initiatives and workplace flexibilities to ensure fairness, equity, and accessibility 

in all aspects of personnel management, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, and awards. As we continue to 

expand access to opportunity to diverse, qualified employees, we must also continue to ensure we select, promote, train, 

and award individual merit, knowledge, skills, and abilities. As Chairman, I challenge each of you to continuously promote 

a culture where all employees are valued, included, engaged, and respected.