The U.S. Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the workplace and a workplace free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.  Equal employment opportunity in the workplace ensures that all employees have the freedom to compete on a fair and level playing field.  

Consistent with federal civil rights laws, the Department of Energy prohibits discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), religion, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, or retaliation for participation in protected EEO activity.  

This protection against discrimination and harassment extends to all management practices and decisions, including, but not limited to, recruitment and hiring practices, merit promotions, training, career development programs, benefits, transfers, reassignments, and separations from the Department.

Employees are encouraged to promptly report discrimination or harassment to any management official or directly to the DOE Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity, or to their respective EEO office. To preserve their right to utilize the EEO complaint process, employees or applicants for employment must initiate contact with the DOE Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity or their respective EEO office within 45 calendar days of the date of the alleged discrimination, or within 45 calendar days from the date on which they reasonably became aware of the discrimination.

The Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020 (Cummings Act) amends the Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act) to strengthen Federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and expands accountability within federal agencies.  The Cummings Act requires each federal agency to post a notice of a finding of discrimination made against the agency on the agency’s public website for a minimum of one year.  

Recent notices can be found below:
11/7/2022: National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Secure Transportation Agent Operations Eastern Command, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

11/7/2022: Western Area Power Administration, Rocky Mountain Region, Loveland, Colorado

11/7/2022: Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region, Phoenix Arizona and WAPA Headquarters in Lakewood, Colorado

11/7/2022: National Energy Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

11/7/2022: National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Secure Transportation Agent Operations Eastern Command, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

11/7/2022: National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Secure Transportation Agent Operations Eastern Command, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

11/7/2022: Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Washington, D.C