Employee Rights and Information Center

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Federal Agencies

1. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
2. U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
3. U.S. Department of Labor
4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
5. Employee Benefits Security Administration (ESBA) (formerly Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration)
6. U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC)
7. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

1. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights

1331 Pennsylvania Ave NW #1150
Washington, DC 20425

Phone: (202) 376-8105
TTY: (202) 376-8116
E-Mail: publications@usccr.gov
Website: www.usccr.gov

Agency Information/Mission: The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Since then, Congress has reauthorized or extended the legislation creating the Commission several times; the last reauthorization was in 1994 by the Civil Rights Commission Amendments Act of 1994.

Established as an independent, bipartisan, fact-finding federal agency, our mission is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil rights laws. We pursue this mission by studying alleged deprivations of voting rights and alleged discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice. We play a vital role in advancing civil rights through objective and comprehensive investigation, research, and analysis on issues of fundamental concern to the federal government and the public.

Information on Filing a Complaint
Getting Uncle Sam to Enforce Your Civil Rights
Civil Rights Directory

2. U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

950 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Office of the Assistant Attorney General
Washington, D.C. 20530

Department Comment Line: 202-353-1555
Department of Justice Main Switchboard: 202-514-2000

TDD: 800-877-8339
Additional Contact Information: https://www.justice.gov/crt/contact-office
E-Mail: Contact individual department, as listed at Civil Rights Section Home Pages
Website: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt

Agency Information/Mission: To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.  

Thomas Jefferson wrote, “The most sacred of the duties of government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.”  This sacred duty remains the guiding principle for the women and men of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Disability Rights Section Home Page
The Disability Rights Section works to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the United States by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Section also carries out responsibilities under Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, and Executive Order 12250.

Employment Litigation Section
The Employment Litigation Section enforces against state and local government employers the provisions of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and other federal laws prohibiting employment practices that discriminate on grounds of race, sex, religion, and national origin. The Section also enforces against state and local government employers and private employers the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against an employee or applicant for employment because of such person's past, current or future military obligation.

Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC)
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) enforces the anti-discrimination provision (§ 274B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1324b.

This federal law prohibits: 1) citizenship status discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, 2) national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee, 3) document abuse (unfair documentary practices during the employment eligibility verification, Form I-9, process, and 4) retaliation or intimidation.

3. U.S. Department of Labor

Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210

Phone: (866) 4-USA-DOL
TTY: (877) 889-5627
E-Mail: See DOL E-Mail Topics for further information
Website: www.dol.gov

Agency Information/Mission: To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

Summary of the Major Laws of the Department of Labor
Workers Information Page
ELaws: Employment Law Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses
Wage and Hour Division Home Page

Agencies Within the Department of Labor:

4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Room Number N3626
Washington, D.C. 20210

Phone: (800) 321-OSHA (6742)
TTY: (877) 889-5627
Additional Contact Information: OSHA Contact Information
E-Mail: OSHA E-Mail Form
Website: www.osha.gov

Agency Information/Mission: With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. OSHA is part of the United States Department of Labor. The administrator for OSHA is the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. OSHA's administrator answers to the Secretary of Labor, who is a member of the cabinet of the President of the United States.

How to File a Complaint with OSHA
OSHA Complaint Handling Process
OSHA Regional and Area Offices
OSHA eTools and Electronic Products for Compliance Assistance

5. Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) (formerly the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration)

U.S. Department of Labor
Frances Perkins Building
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20210

Phone: (Toll-Free) (866) 444-EBSA (3272)
TTY: (Toll-Free) (877) 889-5627
E-Mail: www.askebsa.dol.gov
Website: www.dol.gov/ebsa

Agency Information/Mission: EBSA is committed to educating and assisting over 200 million pension, health and other employee benefit plan participants and beneficiaries and more than 3 million plan sponsors and members of the employee benefit community. EBSA promotes voluntary compliance and facilitates self-regulation, working diligently to provide quality assistance to plan participants and beneficiaries. EBSA's goal in providing direct assistance is to raise the knowledge level of plan participants and beneficiaries, service providers and other interested parties and to ensure that they have access to available plan documents filed with the Department of Labor. This enables participants to better understand and exercise their rights under the law and, when possible, to recover any benefits to which they may be entitled.

What You Should Know About Your Pension Rights
ERISA Compliance Assistance
EBSA Frequently Asked Questions
EBSA Regional Offices

6. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

National Headquarters
131 M St NE
Washington, DC 20002 

National Contact Center
P.O. Box 7033
Lawrence, Kansas 66044

Toll-Free (National Contact Center): (800) 669-4000
Phone (National Headquarters): (202) 663-4900
TTY: (202) 663-4494/ Toll-Free: (800) 669-6820
Fax: (703) 997-4890
E-Mail: info@eeoc.gov (Please include your zip code and/or city and state so that your email will be sent to the appropriate office.)
Website: www.eeoc.gov
National Contact Center Website: https://eeoc.custhelp.com/app/home

Agency Information/Mission: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered.

The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.

The EEOC has the authority to investigate charges of discrimination against employers who are covered by the law. Our role in an investigation is to fairly and accurately assess the allegations in the charge and then make a finding. If we find that discrimination has occurred, we will try to settle the charge. If we aren't successful, we have the authority to file a lawsuit to protect the rights of individuals and the interests of the public. We do not, however, file lawsuits in all cases where we find discrimination.

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws
Prohibited Practices
Contacting the EEOC
EEOC Field Offices and Jurisdictional Map

7. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

1615 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20419

Phone: (202) 653-7200/ Toll-Free: (800) 209-8960
V/TDD: (800) 877-8339
Fax: (202) 653-7130
Additional Contact Information: Official Contact page
E-Mail: mspb@mspb.gov
Website: www.mspb.gov

Agency Information/Mission: The mission of the MSPB is to "Protect the Merit System Principles and promote an effective Federal workforce free of Prohibited Personnel Practices." MSPB's vision is "A highly qualified, diverse Federal workforce that is fairly and effectively managed, providing excellent service to the American people." MSPB's organizational values are Excellence, Fairness, Timeliness, and Transparency.

More about MSPB can obtained from MSPB's Strategic Plan. MSPB carries out its statutory responsibilities and authorities primarily by adjudicating individual employee appeals and by conducting merit systems studies. In addition, MSPB reviews the significant actions of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to assess the degree to which those actions may affect merit.