FMCS Director of Equal Employment Opportunity
Laquetta D. Jones Bigelow
Phone: 202-606-0151
Email: eeo@fmcs.gov
FMCS Reasonable Accommodation Manager
Natalie Samuels
Phone: 202-606-5465
Email: nsamuels@fmcs.gov
Reasonable Accommodations Procedures
FMCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Office of Equal Employment Opportunity is primarily responsible for enforcing laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, religion, age, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, and reprisal.
FMCS encourages applications from persons with disabilities, and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons, unless doing so would cause an undue hardship. Persons with disabilities who require assistive technology (such as a Braille reader, a large print, or TTY) to access information about our services should email us at eeo@fmcs.gov or write to us at:
FMCS Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
One Independence Square
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20427
Complaints of Employment Discrimination
If you believe you have been unlawfully discriminated against by FMCS or its officials, you must contact the FMCS EEO Director within 45 days of the alleged discriminatory incident, the effective date a personnel action or the date you gained knowledge of an alleged discriminatory action. For information about the complaint process, including the administrative and judicial remedies, go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations at 29 CFR 1614. You may contact the EEOC by calling 1-800-669-4000 or (202) 663-4900
Disciplinary Actions
Discriminatory or retaliatory conduct by an employee while performing official duties can lead to disciplinary action up to, and including termination.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require federal agencies to make electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. The law 29 U.S.C § 794 (d) applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508, agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is committed to providing accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to all individuals seeking information from our website. For more information, visit our Section 508 information page here.
FMCS Language Access Plan for Limited English Proficiency Individuals
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating effectively in English, you may need an interpreter or document translation in order to have meaningful access to programs funded by FMCS. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires recipients of Federal financial assistance to take reasonable steps to make their programs, services, and activities accessible by eligible persons with limited English proficiency.
In 2023, FMCS announced the release of its updated federal agency language access plan. The updated language access plan comes on the one-year anniversary of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s language access memorandum to federal agencies and includes FMCS’ commitment to providing meaningful access for people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) across all programs, services, and activities and sets forth practical guidance, best practices, and action steps in order for FMCS Offices and Regions to develop their own, agency-specific language access plans.
In November 2022, Attorney General Garland directed federal agencies to revise their language access plans, share best practices and exchange information about language access initiatives and efforts in compliance with Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” Attorney Garland tasked the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which is responsible for ensuring consistent and coordinated government-wide compliance with Executive Order 13166 and Title VI, with leading this effort.
“Today marks an important step towards including all people in federal conversations about health, work, justice and the environment. Providing meaningful language access to all communities is a fundamentally important federal responsibility,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We look forward to continuing to work with our federal interagency partners and community stakeholders to implement these new language access plans and create a federal government that is truly accessible to all, no matter the language.”
FMCS’ federal agency language access plan can now be found online and on www.LEP.gov, a website maintained by the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division.
Additional information about limited English proficiency and Executive Order 13166 is available at www.LEP.gov.
How to Report a Complaint:
1. A complaint regarding the denial of language accessible services, or regarding the quality of language accessible services, including interpreters or translated materials, may be made:
Electronically to LAPSupport@fmcs.gov or
By Mail: FMCS Office of Equal Employment Opportunity
Language Access Coordinator
250 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20427
2. The complaint should specify the date, individuals involved, and the nature of the complaint.
3. All complaints will be directed to the Language Access Coordinator at LAPSupport@fmcs.gov.
4. The Language Access Coordinator will notify the parties within 30 days upon receipt of the complaint of the outcome.
Notice of Rights Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. § 4151-57)
The U.S. Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. The Access Board’s ABA accessibility standards are available on its website.
Information about filing an ABA complaint with the Access Board may be found in its online ABA complaint form.
How To Report A Complaint
If you experience a barrier accessing any of our offices, please contact us at ABApublicaccess@fmcs.gov and provide the following:
- Required: provide information about the building such as building number, address, floor, etc.
- Required: list and describe all of the accessibility barriers that have been encountered in the building or facility
- Optional: provide your name or contact information. If you provide your contact information, we will be able to communicate with you about our investigation. Your name or contact information will not be disclosed without your express permission.
- Optional: provide any supporting documentation you wish to include with your complaint.
Within two weeks of filing, you will receive an acknowledgment of your complaint, if you have provided your contact information. This acknowledgment will include information about your complaint as well as the investigative process.
Complaints are investigated to determine if the identified accessibility barrier violates an applicable standard. Depending on the results of the investigation, FMCS will work to remedy the accessibility barriers and inform you when the remediation is complete.
No Fear Act
FY21Q1 Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to No Fear Act of 2002 – Pub. L. 107-174
FY2021 No Fear Annual Report
FY2022 No Fear Annual Report
FY2023 No Fear Annual Report
FY23 (Q1) No Fear Act Data Report (corrected)
FY23 (Q2) No Fear Act Data Report
FY23 (Q3) No Fear Act Data Report Corrected
FY23 (Q4) No Fear Act Data Report
FY24 (Q1) No Fear Act Data Report
FY24 (Q2) No Fear Act Data Report
For information about the whistleblower protection laws go to the Office of Special Counsel website at www.osc.gov
For information about anti-discrimination laws go to the federal sector section of the EEOC website at www.eeoc.gov
Other Documents
FMCS 2023-2028 Language Access Plan
2024 EEO Policy Statement
EEO Policy
FMCS Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
FMCS Anti-Harassment Policy
Important Information regarding COVID-19 and EEO processing
FY21 Affirmative Action Plan for the Recruitment, Hiring, Advancement, and Retention of Persons with Disabilities
FY22 Affirmative Action Plan for the Recruitment, Hiring, Advancement, and Retention of Persons with Disabilities
FY23 Affirmative Action Plan for the Recruitment, Hiring, Advancement, and Retention of Persons with Disabilities