Who We Are
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is a principle that asserts all people should have the right to work and advance on the basis of merit and ability. Zero Tolerance is demonstrated when management responds to harassing behaviors and ensures that it stops.
CIA’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO) serves as an Enterprise Function responsible for enforcing Federal Laws and Regulations that prohibit discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This is accomplished through two distinct impartial processes:
- The Federal EEO Complaint Process
- The Anti-Harassment Inquiry Process
Both processes are executed by certified EEO Counselors, Investigators, and Inquiry Officers.
A federal employee, former employee or job applicant who believes they were discriminated against on the bases of age (40 and over), color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (including family medical history), status as a parent, or reprisal (for having engaged in prior protected EEO activity) has the right to file a complaint with the Agency’s office responsible for its EEO programs. Complaints of alleged violations of Presidential Executive Orders will be processed in accordance with the Agency’s Harassment Policy.
OEEO serves as an Agency resource for questions about and actions on behalf of the Director of Central Intelligence Agency’s Zero Tolerance Policy against harassment. When harassment occurs, it affects the Agency’s most valuable resource—its people.
What We Do
The OEEO staff ensures Agency officers have access to an effective EEO complaint system that conducts fair, impartial, and thorough investigations in compliance with Federal law. Allegations of discrimination must be reported to OEEO within 45 days of the alleged behavior based on the following federally protected categories:
- Age (40 and over)
- Color
- Disability
- National origin
- Race
- Religion
- Sex (including pregnancy)
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- Genetic information (including family medical history)
- Status as a parent
- Reprisal (for having engaged in prior protected EEO activity)
OEEO offers non-legal guidance to managers, supervisors, and employees through the Advice Only Program and a pre-complaint counseling process that includes focus on resolving EEO-related matters at the earliest possible stage.
The Anti-Harassment Program (AHP) Staff are charged with investigating allegations of harassment in violation of the Agency’s Zero Tolerance Policy and overseeing the management inquiry process. The AHP Staff provides individuals with non-legal guidance regarding allegations of harassment, oversees the Agency’s internal harassment inquiry process, consults with management regarding all aspects of the harassment inquiry process, and provides training to employees, supervisors, and managers on preventing harassment.
Applicants or employees who believe they have been discriminated against on the bases of race, color, religion, sex/gender (sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), and/or reprisal for prior participation in the EEO process can raise their concerns through CIA’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO).
Please use the contact form, include your contact information, and request contact with the OEEO. To preserve the full range of your rights under federal law in the Federal EEO Complaint Process, you MUST contact an EEO counselor and express intent to enter the process within 45 calendar days of the date the alleged discriminatory action(s) occurred, or when you knew or reasonably should have known of the discriminatory action(s).
For more information about the Federal EEO Complaint Process, please visit www.eeoc.gov.
CIA’s Zero Tolerance Harassment and Discrimination Policy
CIA’s Zero Tolerance Policy assures applicants and employees that the Agency will not tolerate harassment or discrimination. Whether you experience harassment or witness it, you should report it to OEEO without fear of retaliation. CIA treats all complaints seriously and with discretion.
No FEAR Act
On May 15, 2002, President Bush signed the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act) into law. This Act holds federal agencies accountable for violations of anti-discrimination laws.
As required by the No FEAR Act and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rules, CIA posts quarterly data related to equal employment opportunity complaints. To review this data, download CIA’s below.
For more on the No FEAR Act, visit EEOC’s website or the U.S. Office of Special Council.
Elijah Cummings Act Notices
The Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020 amended the No FEAR Act and requires Federal agencies to post findings of discrimination (including retaliation) from any final action of the Agency, the EEOC, or a court of jurisdiction, after all appeals are exhausted. Agencies must publish such notices for one year. To review the recent Notices, please click the link below.
The Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020
