The federal government's efficiency in handling discrimination complaints by its own workers is slipping a bit, even as more minorities are landing federal jobs.
So says an annual report on the federal work force by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, released on Monday.
The EEOC Annual Report on the Federal Work Force for Fiscal Year 2009, which assesses the state of equal employment opportunity in the federal government, offered good and bad news. Among its findings:
• The average processing time for investigating discrimination complaints by federal workers rose from 180 days in 2008 to 186 days in 2009. In addition, the average processing time for closing complaints rose from 336 days in 2008 to 344 days in 2009.
• The number of discrimination complaints filed by federal workers also increased slightly. A total of 16,947 such complaints were filed in 2009, up 1.2 percent from the year before.
• Of the 6,905 cases closed on the merits in 2009, roughly 3 percent resulted in findings of unlawful discrimination, while 21 percent of the cases settled.
Unlike private businesses, which are overseen by the EEOC, federal agencies themselves are responsible for processing and investigating charges of discrimination filed against them.
The EEOC report also found that the percentages of women, Hispanics/Latinos and Asians in the federal work force have all increased slightly. The percentage of women rose from 42.3 percent to 44.06 percent, Hispanics/Latinos from 6.81 percent to 7.90 percent, and Asian-Americans from 5.22 percent to 5.84 percent. The total federal work force increased by 15.09 percent.
Additionally, in 2009, for the first time since 1995, the percentage of people with certain targeted disabilities -- including deafness, blindness, paralysis and mental illness -- in federal jobs held essentially steady, halting a 13-year decline. However, people with such disabilities still remain a mere 0.88 percent of the total work force.
"As the largest employer in the nation, the federal government should lead the way in creating a diverse and just workplace," EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien said in a statement. "Government agencies need to continue to recruit and promote employees who represent the tapestry of America. They must also improve the efficiency of the complaint process so that justice delayed is not justice denied."
