EEO: Know your rights Published April 20, 2007 By Larry Sullivan 43rd Airlift Wing EEO program manager POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- How much do you know about the Equal Employment Opportunity program? The EEO program is established on Pope as mandated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Civilian employees and military supervisors of civilian personnel should be familiar with the program. The below general information provides some basic program facts. - May 15, 2002, Congress enacted the "Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002," which is now known as the No Fear Act to ensure employers, employees and applicants were aware of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws. - Under antidiscrimination laws, a federal agency cannot discriminate against an employee or applicant with respect to the terms, conditions or privileges of employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status or political affiliation. Discrimination on these grounds is prohibited by one or more of the following statutes: 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(1), 29 U.S.C. 206(d), 29 U.S.C. 631, 29 U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791 and 42 U.S.C. 2000e-16. - If you believe you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability, you must contact an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor within 45 calendar days of the alleged discriminatory action, or, in the case of a personnel action, within 45 calendar days of the effective date of the action, before you can file a formal complaint of discrimination. - The office primarily responsible for conducting equal employment opportunity counseling on Pope is the equal employment opportunity office located at 829 Armistead Street in the Family & Airman Support Center, building 430, room 109 - If you believe you have been the victim of unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, you must contact an EEO counselor or give notice of intent to sue to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory action. - A Federal employee with authority to take, direct others to take, recommend or approve any personnel action must not use that authority to take or fail to take, or threaten to take or fail to take, a personnel action against an employee or applicant because of disclosure of information by that individual that is reasonably believed to evidence violations of law, rule or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; an abuse of authority; or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, unless disclosure of such information is specifically prohibited by law and such information is specifically required by Executive order to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or the conduct of foreign affairs. - That retaliation against an employee or applicant for making a protected disclosure is prohibited by 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8). If you believe that you have been the victim of whistleblower retaliation, you may file a written a complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel at 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, D.C. 20036-4505 or online through the OSC Web site--www.osc.gov. - A Federal agency cannot retaliate against an employee or applicant because that individual exercises his or her rights under any of the Federal antidiscrimination or whistleblower protection laws. - Information regarding No Fear Act laws or Equal Employment Opportunity programs can be found at EEOC Web site: www.eeoc.gov and OSC Web site: www.osc.gov. - A grievant may file a pre-complaint and remain anonymous throughout the informal (pre-complaint) process. Should you have any questions about the EEO program on Pope, call Larry Sullivan, EEO office, at 394-4490.