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OFFICE OF EQUAL Opportunity AND FAIRNESS (OEOF)


FHFA EEO Policy Statement

FHFA EEO Anti-Harassment Policy Statement

FHFA EEO Affirmative Employment Plan


About

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Fairness (OEOF) was established in January of 2019 and is a direct report to the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).  This realignment signaled the critical importance of civil rights, harassment prevention, and conflict management to FHFA.  We believe in our agency values of Fairness, Accountability, Integrity, and Respect (F.A.I.R. Values) that are built on a foundation of Competency, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  OEOF, led by Debra C. Chew, is the focal point for fairness at FHFA and serves as a champion for our agency values and grounding principles.

Our OEOF Team includes:

To Contact OEOF:

Mission Statement

To cultivate equity and fairness, grounded in the dignity and respect for all employees, enabling each to advance their career based on merit, thereby empowering each to contribute their unique ideas and perspectives to further the FHFA mission. ​

OEOF Principle Responsibilities and Functions:

Civil Rights

  • EEO Complaints filed by FHFA Employees and Applicants to FHFA
    • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other pertinent anti-discrimination Statutes
    • 29 C.F.R. Section 1614 – EEO Counseling, Formal Complaint Processing, EEO Investigations (contractor led)
    • Equal employment Opportunity Commission Management Directive 110

Conflict Resolution Services

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) - Mediation and/or Shuttle Diplomacy connected to EEO Complaints of Discrimination
    • 29 C.F.R. Section 1614
    • Equal employment Opportunity Commission Management Directive 110

Harassment Prevention Program

  • Triage Harassment related concerns under FHFA Harassment Prevention Policy
  • Conduct Administrative Inquiries into allegations of discriminatory harassment, and if appropriate, other allegations.
  • Review of Report of Inquiry to determine whether a violation of the Harassment Prevention Policy occurred
  • Recommend interventions to curtail harassing behavior

Policy

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Policy
  • Other relevant EEO policies to be developed

Federal Reporting

  • Quarterly Reporting of FHFA formal EEO Complaint Activity for the fhfa.gov website
    • Pursuant to the No FEAR Act
  • Annual Report to Congress on the FHFA formal EEO Complaint Activity
    • Pursuant to the No FEAR Act
  • Annual Form 462 Report on Complaints Activity to the EEOC
  • Annual Data Driven Equity and Fairness Report and Plan to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
    • EEOC Management Directive 715
    • Annual leadership briefing on the state of equity and fairness issues
    • Development of Action plans

Equity and Fairness Analyses

  • Workforce demographic data analyses to identify obstacles in the recruitment and employment life cycles for various FHFA populations
  • Review applicable FHFA policies for equity and fairness
  • Implementation of EEOC Recommendations on Agency EEO program

Learning and Education

  • Deploy a variety of new live and online trainings to educate FHFA on equity, fairness, civil rights, anti-discrimination, workplace harassment, and alternative dispute resolution
  • Responsible for ensuring 100% compliance with the No FEAR Act training requirements

Further, OEOF advises and assists the FHFA Director and management in carrying out their responsibilities to achieve a Model EEO Program, promote alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and address harassment allegations. OEOF serves as a neutral resource designed to prevent, address, and resolve matters that fall under the auspices of anti-discrimination laws, rules, and regulations.

Workforce Ombuds Person

FHFA has an Inter-Agency Agreement with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to provide Ombuds-related services to the FHFA Workforce. According to the charter, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) Ombuds provides a confidential space in which any employee, supervisor, or leader can express concerns for any type of workplace issue, including concerns of behavior that are antithetical to the FHFA FAIR values. Ombuds use informal approaches to work with individuals, groups, and leaders while also continually assessing the culture and climate of their respective organizations by understanding how people communicate with each other; understanding how people and the organization are making sense of workplace conflict (e.g., identifying, addressing, and perceiving conflict); identifying trends and patterns; and helping the organization address systematic problems.

The Ombuds person is a designated systems leader serving as a confidential, independent, impartial/neutral, and informal resource for the FHFA community.

To contact the Workforce Ombuds Person: Karen Jane Dean, Executive Ombuds, Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service

​No fear act (as amended)

Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to Title III of the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act), Public Law 107-174, and Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020, H.R. 6395, Title XI, Subtitle B (Sections 1131-1138).

The No FEAR Act is intended to increase the accountability of Federal agencies for acts of discrimination or reprisal against employees, former employees, and applicants. It became law on May 15, 2002, and became effective on October 1, 2003.

No FEAR Act Data Reporting

2022 No FEAR Act Notice 

The No FEAR Act requires each Federal agency to post on its website certain summary statistical data related to equal employment opportunity complaints filed against it. Section 301(b) of the No FEAR Act and 29 CFR 1614.704 describe the specific data to be posted.

Every quarter FHFA updates and publishes the No FEAR Act data.

If you have questions or concerns about whistleblower rights, contact the Office of Special Counsel at www.osc.gov or call (202) 804-7000.

Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act Notice

Any nondisclosure policies, forms, or agreements between FHFA and its current or former employees do not supersede, conflict with, or otherwise alter the employee obligations, rights, or liabilities created by existing statute or Executive order relating to (1) classified information, (2) communications to Congress, (3) the reporting to an Inspector General (Hotline – 800-793-7724) of a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or (4) any other whistleblower protection.  The definitions, requirements, obligations, rights, sanctions, and liabilities created by controlling Executive orders and statutory provisions are controlling in the case of any conflict with an agency non-disclosure agreement:  Executive Order 13526; 5 U.S.C. 2302(b)(8); 10 U.S.C. 1034; 50 U.S.C. 421 et seq.; 18 U.S.C. 641, 793, 794, 798, 952 and 1924; 50 U.S.C. 783(b); 5 U.S.C. Appx. 3; and 5 U.S.C. 7211.​​

Contact

To request further information, please contact OEOF at (202) 649-3500 or EEO@fhfa.gov.

To report harassment, contact (202) 649-3500 or HarassmentPrevention@fhfa.gov. ​​​​​​

Page Last Updated: 12/16/2022​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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