Skip to main content

Equal Opportunity

Jump To:

Recent Reports

View More Reports

Open Recommendations

Higher Education: Employment Discrimination Case Referrals Between Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Could Be Improved
GAO-24-105516
Apr 09, 2024
Show
2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education Education should track the number of days it takes regional offices to refer employment discrimination complaints to EEOC and use the information to develop a plan to reduce referral delays. Such a plan could include applying good practices from certain regional offices agency-wide, or reallocating resources. (Recommendation 1)
Open
Education agreed with this recommendation and stated that it will develop a system to track the number of days it takes to refer employment discrimination complaints to EEOC. Education also stated that it will periodically review the new data to identify any effective measures to reduce referral times, and make appropriate changes, depending on available resources. We continue to recommend that Education, in addition to developing the tracking system, use the resulting data and information from the periodic reviews to develop a plan to reduce referral delays. We will monitor the agency's efforts.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC should develop and finalize a protocol to ensure that its field offices receive and process all complaint referrals from Education. The protocol could include: consistently documenting the referrals in its new data system; communicating regularly with Education on the number of complaint referrals Education sends to EEOC and the number EEOC receives from Education; and reconciling any differences in the number of complaints sent and received. (Recommendation 2)
Open
EEOC neither agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation. The agency noted the importance of ensuring that all referrals from Education's OCR are received and processed. EEOC also noted that it will carefully consider the areas for improvement we identified. EEOC stated that in November 2023, it adopted an interim protocol with OCR to ensure receipt of all complaint referrals from OCR. Specifically, OCR is to copy EEOC headquarters officials when it refers a complaint to the appropriate EEOC field office. According to EEOC, this allows it to maintain a complete and centralized record of all OCR referrals to determine if EEOC has received all OCR referrals and whether follow-up with OCR is needed. When this interim protocol is finalized, we will review it to determine if it meets the intent of our recommendation.

Paid Parental Leave: OPM Should Take Steps to Further Raise Awareness of the Program
GAO-24-106654
Jan 25, 2024
Show
1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Personnel Management The Director of OPM should update the 2015 Handbook on Leave and Workplace Flexibilities for Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care and associated fact sheets on its "Leave Administration" webpage to include current and accurate paid parental leave information. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Federal Real Property: Improved Data and Access Needed for Employees with Disabilities Using Secure Facilities
GAO-24-107117
Jan 09, 2024
Show
4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of the Director of National Intelligence The Director of National Intelligence should ensure that the Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, in collaboration with each of the SCIF accrediting agencies, develops and implements a plan outlining steps for SCIF accrediting agencies to report data on their inventory of SCIFs in a timely manner in accordance with ICD 705. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the IC element heads, should issue updated or new guidance that identifies minimum specifications for common accessibility concerns at entrances and within SCIFs, including automatic door openers, accessible door locks and intrusion detection systems, and tactile signage. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the IC element heads, should issue updated or new guidance that addresses accessibility in the annual SCIF security inspection process. This process could include an accessibility checklist to all federal agencies to identify and address—to the maximum practicable—physical access barriers to and inside SCIFs. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination with the IC element heads, should issue updated or new guidance that includes consistent procedures for IC elements to follow when evaluating assistive technologies or medical devices for use in SCIFs. At a minimum, that guidance should identify how federal agencies should address variation in SCIFs, reciprocity between agencies, and technology evolution as it relates to assistive technologies and medical devices. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

U.S. Postal Service: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Workforce Diversity Efforts
GAO-24-105732
Dec 15, 2023
Show
4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
United States Postal Service The Postmaster General should ensure that executive leaders develop a plan for capturing and using data from USPS's new applicant flow tracking system to prepare the workforce tables and barrier analysis in its annual reports to the EEOC. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service The Postmaster General should ensure that executive leaders develop DEIA-specific performance measures, time frames, and responsibilities related to USPS's DEIA goals. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service The Postmaster General should ensure that executive leaders develop DEIA performance objectives linked to USPS's organizational DEIA goals, including on adhering to EEO policies and principles, to ensure that managers and executives are incorporating leading diversity management practices into their individual performances. This could be through USPS's update to manager and executive performance competency models. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
United States Postal Service The Postmaster General should ensure that executive leaders regularly and formally gather employee feedback to assess employee perceptions of USPS's diversity efforts, such as through a diversity and inclusion advisory group, surveys, or focus groups, to measure progress toward stated DEIA goals. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
View More Recommendations

Related Pages