Compliance

Federally Employed Women’s (FEW) Compliance Program monitors the progress made by the federal government in achieving equal employment opportunity evidenced by its adherence with statutory civil rights protections including: the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Civil Rights Act of 1991, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA).

The Compliance Program complements FEW’s legislative mission to endorse the concerns and interests of women in the federal workforce and presents them to the legislative bodies. Ideally, Compliance Program activities should serve as a catalyst for input/changes to FEW’s National Legislative Agenda and provides members with a way to monitor how the government and Congress are performing to ensure Equal Opportunity in the government.

FEW’s Compliance Program covers: EEO – (Equal Employment Opportunity) its place in the Federal Government

  • EEO – (Equal Employment Opportunity) its place in the Federal Government
  • EEO Laws – the purpose to protect employees and applicants from employment discrimination
  • Affirmative Action Requirements – to achieve the goal of a workforce that represents our nation’s diverse population, thereby correcting the effects of past discrimination
  • Civil Rights in the Federal Government
    • Executive Order (E.O.) 11246 (September 24, 1965) barred discrimination in federal employment based on race, color, religion or national origin. It also provided for nondiscrimination in employment by government contractors and subcontractors
    • E.O. 11375 (1967) amended E.O. 11246 to prohibit sex discrimination in federal employment
    • E.O. 11478 (1969) required each department and agency of the federal government to establish and maintain an affirmative program of EEO for all civilian employees and applicants
    • Section 717 of the EEO Act of 1972 extended the guarantees of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to federal employees
    • The Equal Pay Act of 1963, amended in 1974 to cover federal employees, prohibits payment of different wages to one group of people doing essentially the same work as another group
    • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 prohibits discrimination in employment because of age and applies to individuals at least 40 years of age in the private sector. In 1974, the ADEA was amended to include federal employees and allowed individuals to take complaints of age discrimination directly to court
    • The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disabilities if applicants or employees are otherwise qualified and able to perform their jobs
    • The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 was established to help ease the transition of veterans from military service to productive employment and requires affirmative action for disabled veterans
    • The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA) is designed to improve government efficiency and to balance a management authority with employee protections

Compliance Resources


FEW on the National level maintains close working relationships with several federal departments and agencies including the Office of Personnel Management, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Merit Systems Protection Board and Department of Labor.  FEW’s grassroots compliance efforts play a vital role in implementing the Compliance Program across the FEW network, which includes the Continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and several foreign countries.



Management Directive 715 (MD-715)


Instructions for MD-715


Federal EEO Complaint Process


Alternative Dispute Resolution Process



Special Emphasis Program Executive Orders

For more information, please contact the Vice President for Compliance at compliancevp@few.org.