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EO officials aim to set the standard for federal agencies
Posted 12/19/2011 Updated 12/19/2011
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by Erin Tindell
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
12/19/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Air Force equal opportunity officials have expanded a pilot program that reduces processing times for civilian equal employment opportunity complaints to five months versus the standard six months. The move is part of an Air Force effort to set the EO standard for federal agencies.
In 2010, the Air Force EO office, in collaboration with the Air Force Personnel Center EO office, implemented pilot programs at Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases to process formal civilian EEO complaint investigations within 150 days. The test resulted in an average process time of 77 days, which is 57 percent faster than the required 180 days. On Dec. 6, the pilot program expanded to include Tyndall AFB, Eglin AFB, MacDill AFB and Hurlburt Field, Fla.
"The pilot program demonstrated significant improvement can be attained by re-evaluating current processes with our key mission partners who also participate in the civilian EEO process," said Lt. Col. Stephen Miliano, the EO director at AFPC. "Reduced processing times benefit all involved, from employees to organization leaders and managers. Additionally, these improvements greatly help to further the AF EO program in reaching its goal of being a model program for the federal government."
Members of the AFPC Equal Opportunity Office also revamped their analytics for capturing data on how the Air Force processes formal civilian EEO complaints. Previous metrics only measured the number of complaints that were overdue or exceeded standard timelines.
"The new metrics measure the average time it takes to process each step in the informal EEO complaint process," said Cinni Youngblood, the AFPC EO operations manager. "This way, we can get a better idea of what's going on out in the field and recognize and address trends throughout the process."
During fiscal year 2011, 90 percent of all complaints counseling were processed on time resulting in a 2.38 increase of timeliness from the previous year. Only 0.3 percent of the total Air Force civilian workforce filed EEO complaints.
While both military and civilian EO programs focus on unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment, civilian complaints are subject to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission standards and sanctions and are coordinated with agencies outside the Air Force.
Civilian complaints must go through a 30 to 90-day informal process to handle the issue through the traditional process or mediation called alternative dispute resolution before filing a formal complaint. The Air Force encourages commanders and managers to participate in ADR because it saves time, money and can quickly resolve problems or issues before they escalate, Youngblood said.
"The goal is to try to resolve a complaint at the lowest level," she said. "Leaders should never discount an employee's issue. We all want to feel like we have something to offer and are a valuable member of the team."
Youngblood said leadership should keep the lines of communication open throughout the entire complaint process. Additionally, EO offices should let AFPC/EO know and document any local or procedural issues that create process delays.
"The Air Force EO program is about taking care of people to ensure mission readiness," she said. "If people aren't getting along, what impact do you think that will have on the mission?"
For information about EO and other personnel issues, visit the Air Force Personnel Services at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.
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