EEOC Releases Federal Agency EEO Guidance

August 26, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Federal government managers now have a new road map for setting up equal employment opportunity programs, courtesy of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

>According to an EEOC announcement, Management Directive (MD) 715 advances federal agencies’ EEO efforts by requiring each department to conduct periodic self-assessments of their EEO policies and practices to ensure free and open workplace competition.

>An important component of MD 715 is the establishment of the following Essential Elements for structuring model EEO programs at federal agencies:

  • demonstrated commitment from agency leadership
  • integration of EEO into the agency’s strategic mission
  • management and program accountability
  • proactive prevention of unlawful discrimination
  • efficiency
  • responsiveness and legal compliance.

>The EEOC said agency Chair Cari Dominguez has met with a variety of federal agency officials to help the officials improve their EEO performance.

The new directive becomes effective government wide at the start of Fiscal Year 2004 on October 1. The full text of MD 715 is available at  http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/eeomd715.html .

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