Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights

Special Emphasis Programs 

Special Emphasis Programs address the unique concerns of women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and other protected classes in achieving equal opportunity in all employment and program delivery activities. They identify and assist in the removal of discriminatory practices and procedures and other barriers to equal opportunity. The programs also continually improve the hiring, training, retention, and promotion opportunities for all qualified individuals, sponsor special observance activities, conduct diversity training, and assist management in ensuring a highly skilled and diverse workforce. 

Public Civil Rights 

The Public Civil Rights national program includes two sub-programs: Federally Assisted Program and Federally Conducted Program.  

The Federally Assisted Program ensures that recipients of Federal financial assistance provide access to facilities, programs, and activities in a non-discriminatory manner. Examples of programs and activities include but are not limited to audio/video presentations, displays and display areas, kiosks, informative talks, museums, hunting, fishing, educational programs, bird watching, tours, camping and hiking.  

Through the Federally Conducted Program, the Service is responsible for evaluating its facilities, programs, and activities to ensure that they are provided in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, physical/mental disability, reprisal and sex (including sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, or expression).  Additionally, all programs and activities, such as audio/video presentations, displays and display areas, kiosks, informative talks, museums, hunting, fishing, educational programs, bird watching, tours, camping, hiking, recreation sites, bid openings, recruitment, employment, training, public information and/or education, visitor center and public meetings are evaluated to ensure equal access for all.  

Both Public Civil Rights programs require that reasonable accommodations with respect to programs, activities, and facilities be provided to all persons with disabilities. Examples of accommodations for persons with disabilities include providing information about programs and/or activities in alternative formats, providing persons with disabilities equal access to recreational activities through special use permits, acquisition or modification of equipment or devices, and providing services such as readers or interpreters. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Complaints 

Federal employees and applicants for employment with Federal agencies may file individual or class complaints of discrimination with the agency that allegedly discriminated against them. A discrimination complaint may be filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Rehabilitation Act, or the Equal Pay Act. As an aggrieved person, an employee or applicant may allege discrimination on the basis(es) of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age (over 40), physical or mental disability, genetic information, status as a parent, or retaliation for participating in EEO activities or for opposing unlawful discrimination. Harassment is a form of discrimination that can be present with any basis. 

An employee alleging discrimination or harassment must contact an EEO Counselor and initiate informal, or pre-complaint, counseling within 45 days of the occurrence of the matter alleged to be discriminatory or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 days of the effective date of the action, or the date that (s)he became aware, or should have been aware, of the alleged offense. 

Pre-complaint EEO Counseling Process 

Any Federal employee or applicant for Federal employment who would like to file an EEO complaint, must first contact an EEO Counselor and enter the EEO informal complaint process prior to filing a formal complaint. The aggrieved person must contact an EEO Counselor and initiate informal complaint counseling within 45 calendar days of the date of the matter alleged to be discriminatory or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action. 

Formal EEO Complaint Process 

The formal stage of the process begins when a formal complaint is filed. The complaint must be in the form of a signed statement from the complainant or the complainant's representative, containing the complainants (or representative's) telephone number and address, and must be sufficiently precise to identify the complaint, and describe generally the action or practice which forms the basis of the complaint. 

For more information, read the Service's EEO policy.  

To contact an EEO Complaints Counselor, email eeocomplaints@fws.gov or call 703-358-1724.