Equal Employment Opportunity: SSA Region X's Changes to Its EEO Process Illustrate Need for Agencywide Procedures

Our July 2003 report on equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Region X (i.e., covering Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) identified that in fiscal year 1999, Region X changed its EEO process, so that EEO counselors were no longer allowed to talk with managers during the informal stage of the EEO complaint process but were required to submit their questions in writing. In addition, managers were encouraged to routinely have an attorney from the Office of General Counsel (OGC) review their written responses before the responses were provided to the EEO counselors. Our report noted that these changes were counter to the spirit of EEO regulations and their related guidance, which emphasize the informal nature of counseling. Beginning in early fiscal year 2001, Region X no longer required written EEO counselor queries or OGC involvement in the informal stage of the EEO complaint process. We recommended that the Commissioner of SSA adopt standard operating procedures for EEO counselors that include step-by-step procedures for processing complaints of discrimination so that counselors and others involved in the process across the country know what to do and employees face the same process everywhere. In August 2005, SSA provided training that was mandatory for all of its EEO counselors and was delivered via interactive video teletraining (IVT) format. The training, which was in line with the intent of our recommendations, included how counselors should speak with the aggrieved, alleged harassers, and witnesses; the role of the counselor in explaining the option of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) when an individual seeks EEO counseling; and when counselors must exclude ADR as an option.

Our July 2003 report on equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Region X (i.e., covering Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) identified that in fiscal year 1999, Region X changed its EEO process so that EEO counselors were no longer allowed to talk with managers during the informal stage of the EEO complaint process but were required to submit their questions in writing. In addition, managers were encouraged to routinely have an attorney from the Office of General Counsel (OGC) review their written responses before the responses were provided to the EEO counselors. These changes were counter to the spirit of EEO regulations and their related guidance, which emphasize the informal nature of counseling. Beginning in early fiscal year 2001, neither written EEO counselor queries nor OGC involvement were required in the informal stage of the EEO complaint process. We recommended that the Commissioner of SSA direct the Regional Commissioner of Region X to establish a plan to 1) enhance the Region's EEO environment to increase trust and 2) measure the plan's effectiveness, such as with a periodic survey of employees. In response to our recommendation, the Regional Commissioner of Region X sent a letter to all employees under his direct authority. To determine what could be done to further enhance the EEO process, SSA began a national dialogue among the 10 regional commissioners to address diversity topics at the regional and national levels. According to SSA, the Regional Commissioner of Region X serves as the lead for the national dialogue among regional commissioners to address diversity topics at the regional and national levels. Furthering the national dialogue on diversity topics, in 2006, the Regional Commissioner of Region X sent an e-mail to his colleagues informing them of enhancements to the SSA Diversity Library Web site, which is a compendium of information resources on celebrating workforce diversity.