Federal Employee Discrimination Lawyer

Federal EEO Complaints

The stakes are high for federal employees facing discrimination or harassment at work. This is not an exaggeration, nor overblown rhetoric. Put simply, many federal employees are long-time civil servants, dedicated to the mission of the agency in which they serve.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Equal Pay Act are all examples of anti-discrimination laws which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) adjudicates.

In addition to discrimination based on color, race, national origin, gender, age, disability, and others, retaliation is a specific cause of discrimination. In general, retaliation is defined as being punished for asserting your rights – such as bringing a complaint of discrimination or harassment – against a prohibited act.  The law is supposed to protect you for the very act of asserting your rights, but you may nonetheless lose a deserved promotion (as just one example), simply for raising an issue of discrimination or harassment with your boss.

Common examples of discrimination:

• An evaluation that does not match your actual job performance
• A transfer or role change that does not align with the natural arc of your specific career path
• Being on the receiving end of threats and emotional abuse
• Being denied a reasonable accommodation based upon your disability or your religion
• Not being selected for promotion or training opportunities
• Formal and informal disciplinary actions

Exemplary Job Performance May Not Be Enough to Avoid a Hostile Work Environment

The agency’s justification for its adverse action must match the circumstances. Frequently it does not. It is our job at Snider & Associates to prove how and why.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of unreasonable justifications to discipline, fire, or otherwise take an adverse action against a federal employee:

• You filed an actual complaint of discrimination or harassment
• You simply brought the issue up with your superior
• You requested an accommodation for a disability

Be it from interpersonal conflict or politically motivated reprisal, thousands of federal employees file claims of discrimination every year, under a variety of circumstances. And the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, holds hundreds of hearings to adjudicate those claims.

What Is The Process For Filing a Federal Discrimination Complaint?

Scientists, subject matter experts, administrators, truck drivers – anyone who has made a career of serving the American people by working for the federal government – are not insulated from the pressures of discrimination at work.

The process for filing a discrimination complaint, however, is unique for federal employees, as opposed to those in the private sector. At Snider & Associates, we can help guide you through it.

This is a step by step guide to the EEOC process for federal employees.

Fight for Your Rights, a Federal Employee’s Guide to the EEO Process was written by the firm’s founder, Michael J. Snider, Esq. However, we realize that even after reading the book you may still have questions about the EEO process or desire legal representation. If you are a federal employee facing discrimination, call or email the firm today.