4 C.F.R. Subpart D—Special Procedures; Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Cases
Title 4 - Accounts
Subpart D—Special Procedures; Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Cases
§ 28.95 Purpose and scope.
The procedures in this subpart relate to charges filed against any GAO policies or specific actions which are alleged to involve prohibited discrimination. Prohibited discrimination is defined as any action in violation of:
(a) Section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2000e-16), prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin;
(b) Sections 12 and 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 631, 633a) prohibiting discrimination on account of age;
(c) Section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(d), prohibiting discrimination in wages on the basis of sex;
(d) Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791, 794a) prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability; or
(e) Any other law prohibiting discrimination in Federal employment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or disability. 31 U.S.C. 732(f)(2).
[58 FR 61992, Nov. 23, 1993, as amended at 68 FR 69302, Dec. 12, 2003]
§ 28.96 Applicability of general procedures.
Except where a different procedure is provided for in this subpart, the procedures to be followed by all parties in cases arising under this subpart shall be the general procedures as prescribed in subpart B of this part.
§ 28.97 Class actions in EEO cases.
(a) Prior to invoking the Board's procedures in a case alleging prohibited discrimination on behalf of a class of GAO employees or applicants for employment, a complaint must first be filed with GAO in accordance with GAO Order 2713.2.
(b) An appeal from GAO's disposition of any EEO class complaint may be submitted to the Board at the following times:
(1) Within 20 days of receipt of a GAO determination rejecting or canceling the class complaint;
(2) Within 20 days of receipt of a GAO determination accepting the class action, but with modifications that are not satisfactory to the agent of the class;
(3) When a period of more than 180 days has elapsed since the formal class complaint was filed and the GAO has not issued a final decision; or
(4) Within 20 days of receipt of a final GAO decision resolving the complaint if that decision, in whole or in part, has not satisfied the agent for the class.
(c) In EEO class actions, employees shall not file charges with the Board's Office of General Counsel and that Office shall not undertake an independent investigation of a class complaint that has been filed with GAO. However, the General Counsel may request permission to intervene with regard to any issue in which the General Counsel finds a significant public interest with respect to the preservation of the merit system.
(d) An appeal of a GAO disposition of an EEO class complaint shall be decided by the Board based upon a review of the administrative record, including any recommended findings and conclusions, developed in the GAO class complaint process. In such cases, the Board will employ the same standards of review set forth in §28.87.
(e) The parties to an EEO class complaint do not have a right to a de novo evidentiary hearing before the Board. However, either the class representative or GAO may file a motion requesting an evidentiary hearing, rather than having the Board decide the case upon review of the administrative record already developed by GAO. The Board, in its discretion, may grant such motion or, upon its own review of the administrative record, may direct that a new hearing be conducted. If the Board orders a new evidentiary hearing, the class representative shall file a petition on behalf of the class and the case shall be adjudicated before an administrative judge of this Board pursuant to the procedures applicable to an individual EEO complaint processed under §28.98 of these regulations. For the purpose of determining whether it is appropriate to treat a petition as a class action, the administrative judge will be guided, but not controlled, by the applicable provisions of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
[58 FR 61992, Nov. 23, 1993, as amended at 68 FR 69303, Dec. 12, 2003]
§ 28.98 Individual charges in EEO cases.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, a charge alleging prohibited discrimination (as defined in §28.95) shall not be filed with the Board's General Counsel unless the charging party has first filed a complaint of discrimination with GAO in accordance with GAO Order 2713.2.
(b) A charge relating to GAO's disposition of any individual EEO complaint may be filed with the Board's General Counsel at the following times:
(1) Within 30 days from the receipt by the charging party of a GAO decision rejecting the complaint in whole or part;
(2) Whenever a period of more than 120 days has elapsed since the complaint was filed, and the GAO has not issued a final decision; or
(3) Within 30 days from the receipt by the charging party of a final GAO decision concerning the complaint of discrimination.
(c) Special rules for adverse and performance based actions. Where an employee is affected by a removal, suspension for more than 14 days, reduction in grade or pay, or furlough of not more than 30 days (whether due to disciplinary, performance-based or other reasons), and the employee wishes to allege that such action was due in whole or part to prohibited discrimination (as defined in §28.95), the employee may elect to do either (but not both) of the following:
(1) File a charge directly with the Board's General Counsel within 30 days of the effective date of the personnel action and raise the issue of discrimination in the course of the proceedings before the Board; or
(2) File a complaint of discrimination with the GAO pursuant to GAO Order 2713.2. If the employee elects to file a complaint of discrimination with GAO, he or she may still seek Board review of the matter by filing a charge with the Board's General Counsel at the times authorized in paragraph (b) of this section. Where a complaint of discrimination filed with GAO relates to non-EEO issues that are within the Board's jurisdiction in addition to EEO-related allegations, the subsequent charge filed with the Board's General Counsel under paragraph (b) of this section shall be considered a timely appeal of the non-EEO issues. An employee will be deemed to have elected the EEO complaint process if the employee files a timely written complaint of discrimination with GAO before filing a charge with the Board's General Counsel. Consultation with an EEO counselor, without filing a written complaint of discrimination, does not constitute an election of the EEO complaint process.
(d) Special rules for WRA based actions. An individual alleging discrimination issues in connection with a WRA-based separation may follow the procedures outlined above in paragraph (c) of this section for adverse and performance based actions, or may choose instead a third option. In accordance with the provisions of §28.13, such an individual may challenge that action by filing directly with the PAB, thus bypassing both the Office of Opportunity and Inclusiveness and the Board's Office of General Counsel.
(e)(1) The charging party shall file the charge with the Board's Office of General Counsel in accordance with §28.11. That Office shall investigate the charge in accordance with §28.12.
(2) A charging party challenging a RIF action by filing directly with the PAB shall follow the procedures prescribed in §28.13 and §28.18.
[58 FR 61992, Nov. 23, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 59106, Nov. 16, 1994; 61 FR 36811, July 15, 1996; 68 FR 69303, Dec. 12, 2003]
§ 28.99 Petitions to the Board in EEO cases.
(a) The provisions of §§28.18 through 28.90, inclusive, shall govern the Board's procedures in processing petitions filed under this subpart.
(b) Remedial action provided in Board orders in these cases may include:
(1) Provision for Agency offers of employment, re-employment or promotion, with or without back pay, when the Board decides such action is required to make whole the individual found to have been discriminated against.
(2) Notification to all GAO employees of the action ordered to be taken to expunge the effect of the discrimination;
(3) Correction of GAO personnel records, as necessary, to reflect the purpose of the Board order; and,
(4) Any other action the Board believes proper to correct the effect of the discrimination found to have occurred.
[58 FR 61992, Nov. 23, 1993, as amended at 68 FR 69303, Dec. 12, 2003]
§ 28.100 [Reserved]
§ 28.101 Termination of Board proceedings when suit is filed in Federal District Court.
Any proceeding before the Board shall be terminated when an employee or applicant who is alleging violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2000e–16, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. 633a, or the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. 791, files suit in Federal District Court on the same cause of action pending before the Personnel Appeals Board.
[68 FR 69303, Dec. 12, 2003]
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