NEW WEB PAGE EMPHASIZES EEOC ROLE IN COORDINATING GOVERNMENT-WIDE NONDISCRIMINATION EFFORTS

WASHINGTON - Cari M. Dominguez, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced a new web page describing the agency's role in coordinating the federal government's efforts to eradicate discrimination in the American workplace. The web page, which may be accessed through www.eeoc.gov, highlights the EEOC's leadership in ensuring that federal agencies work together in opposition to workplace discrimination.

"The federal effort to root out workplace discrimination requires that the government speak with one voice, so that both workers and employers know what their rights and obligations are," said Chair Dominguez. "This new page gathers in one location all of the sources and resources that will inform and instruct on coordination efforts in a user-friendly, accessible manner."

The new web page, entitled "EEOC Coordination of Federal Government Equal Employment Opportunity in the Workplace," contains links to legal materials that can help federal agencies coordinate their efforts, including:

• Executive Order 12067, through which EEOC is required to review federal government regulations and other policy documents that may affect the enforcement of federal EEO laws and the rights and duties of workers and employers;
• 29 C.F.R. Part 1690, "Procedures on Interagency Coordination of Equal Employment Opportunity Issuances," which contains procedures for coordination between EEOC and other federal agencies having responsibility for enforcement of federal statutes, Executive Orders, regulations and policies that require equal employment opportunity;
• 29 C.F.R. Part 1691, "Procedures for Complaints of Employment Discrimination Filed Against Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance," which creates the rules for coordinating enforcement of Title VII and other federal statutes; and
• Section 107(b) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. § 12117(b), which requires coordination of disability discrimination charges that may be filed under either the ADA or the Rehabilitation Act, in order to avoid duplication of effort and prevent imposition of inconsistent or conflicting standards.

The web page also provides links to Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the EEOC and other federal agencies which may share overlapping jurisdiction. The MOUs ensure that the claims of individuals seeking the protection of federal nondiscrimination law will be addressed even if they are not filed with the proper agency. The MOUs also protect employers from having to defend claims before multiple departments or agencies.

Finally, the web page provides links to web sites of other federal agencies that play a role in the federal government's effort to combat workplace discrimination: the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division/Coordination and Review Section.

The EEOC enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Equal Pay Act; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination affecting individuals with disabilities in the federal government; Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits employment discrimination against people with disabilities in the private sector and state and local governments; and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Further information about the Commission is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.