No FEAR Act

True. Complaints of prohibited personnel practices may be filed with the Office of Special Counsel by mail, as well as online or by fax.

Retaliation against an individual who has engaged in activity protected under federal antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.

True. Appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board must be filed within 30 days of the effective date of the personnel action being challenged.

Considering employment recommendations based on personal knowledge in a hiring action. All other options — such as nepotism, retaliation, and discrimination — are prohibited personnel practices.

All are correct: take appropriate action to resolve issues and document them; take complaints seriously and investigate thoroughly; contact the EEO office for guidance; and ensure all workplace policies, practices, and behaviors are fair.

True. The OSC is an independent federal agency whose basic mission is to guard against prohibited personnel practices in the federal workplace, with special emphasis on protecting government whistleblowers.

To protect federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for employees against abuses by agency management.

All of the answers are correct — a model EEO program increases workplace fairness, builds employee trust and morale, reduces complaints, and improves organizational effectiveness.

MD-715 provides guidance and standards for establishing and maintaining effective affirmative programs of equal employment opportunity and eliminating barriers to equality in the workplace.

The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002, which became effective October 1, 2003. It imposes duties on federal agencies to provide work environments free of discrimination and retaliation.

Annually. Federal agencies must submit annual reports to Congress containing data about discrimination and whistleblower cases within 180 days of the end of each fiscal year.

Race, color, national origin, sex, or religion, and in reprisal for prior protected activity.

At least every two years. New employees must receive training within 90 days of their entry on duty.

45 calendar days from the date the individual knew or should have known about the alleged discriminatory act, or within 45 days of the effective date of a personnel action.

1) Reimburse the Judgment Fund for discrimination/retaliation payments; 2) Provide annual notice to employees about rights and remedies; 3) Conduct training every two years; 4) Submit annual reports to Congress; 5) Post quarterly statistical data on public websites.

Complaint numbers, number of filers, bases and issues, processing timelines, findings of discrimination, pending complaints, and data on untimely investigations — both current and five-year historical data, updated quarterly.

The EEOC enforces all federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, reprisal, or retaliation, and provides oversight and coordination of all federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies.

The agency must reimburse the Judgment Fund from its own budget. This holds agencies financially accountable for discrimination and retaliation and encourages proactive prevention.

The ADEA prohibits employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age or older. It protects both employees and job applicants in federal employment.

The Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in federal employment and requires agencies to provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would cause undue hardship.

The WPA prohibits federal agency retaliation against employees or applicants who disclose violations of law, rule, or regulation; gross mismanagement; gross waste of funds; abuse of authority; or substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.

The OSC receives and investigates allegations of prohibited personnel practices, especially retaliation against whistleblowers. It can seek corrective and disciplinary action before the MSPB.

Actions by federal employees with authority over personnel decisions that violate merit system principles, including discrimination, nepotism, reprisal for whistleblowing, obstruction of competition, and violations of veterans' preference.

There are 14 prohibited personnel practices defined in 5 U.S.C. 2302(b), including discrimination, retaliation for whistleblowing, nepotism, obstruction of competition, and violations of merit system principles.

Yes. Federal employees may file with the agency EEO office for discrimination complaints and with the OSC for prohibited personnel practices, including whistleblower retaliation, though they cover different types of violations.

An action that negatively affects employment, including removal, suspension, demotion, reduction in grade or pay, furlough of 30 days or less, or other significant changes in duties or working conditions.

File a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). You may also file an Individual Right of Action (IRA) appeal with the MSPB if the OSC does not seek corrective action within 120 days.

Reprisal is taking or threatening to take an adverse personnel action against an employee because of their protected activity, such as filing an EEO complaint, participating in an EEO process, or engaging in whistleblowing.

The informal stage involves pre-complaint counseling within 45 days of the discriminatory act, lasting up to 30 days (extendable to 90 with ADR). The formal stage begins when a written complaint is filed within 15 days of receiving the counselor's notice.

ADR includes processes such as mediation that allow parties to resolve disputes without a formal investigation or hearing. Agencies must offer ADR during the pre-complaint (informal) stage.

The Equal Pay Act requires that men and women in the same workplace receive equal pay for equal work. The jobs need not be identical, but must be substantially equal in skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions.

GINA prohibits employment discrimination based on genetic information, including family medical history, genetic test results, and requests for or receipt of genetic services.

A hostile work environment exists when unwelcome conduct based on a protected category is sufficiently severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment and create an abusive working environment.

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: submission is made a condition of employment (quid pro quo), submission or rejection affects employment decisions, or the conduct creates a hostile work environment.

Supervisors must model appropriate behavior, take complaints seriously, address harassment and discrimination promptly, cooperate with EEO investigations, prevent retaliation against complainants, and ensure a fair and equitable workplace.

Yes. Federal agencies must take appropriate disciplinary action against employees who engage in discrimination or retaliation, which may include reprimand, suspension, demotion, or removal.

The supervisor and the agency may be held liable. Agencies can be held strictly liable for harassment by supervisors that results in a tangible employment action, and for creating or tolerating a hostile work environment.

The EEOC provides oversight of federal sector EEO programs, adjudicates appeals of agency final decisions, conducts hearings through administrative judges, and issues guidance on antidiscrimination laws.

Annual reports including: the number and status of discrimination cases; amounts paid from the Judgment Fund; number of employees disciplined for discrimination or retaliation; descriptions of policies to prevent violations; and analysis of trends.

To ensure transparency and public accountability. The data allows employees, applicants, and the public to see how an agency handles discrimination and whistleblower complaints, encouraging agencies to proactively address problems.

False. The No FEAR Act protects current employees, former employees, and applicants for federal employment from discrimination and retaliation.

The PWFA requires covered employers, including federal agencies, to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation causes undue hardship.

Principles in 5 U.S.C. 2301 including: recruit from all segments of society; fair and equitable treatment; equal pay for equal work; high standards of integrity and conduct; efficient use of the workforce; retain or separate based on performance; educate and train employees; protect from arbitrary action; and protect whistleblowers.

An appeal must be filed within 30 days of the effective date of the personnel action, or 30 days after the date of receipt of the agency's decision, whichever is later.