The mission of the Civil Rights Center (CRC) is to promote nondiscrimination and equal opportunity by administering and enforcing various civil rights laws. These laws protect:

  • Department of Labor (DOL) employees and applicants for DOL employment, and
  • Individuals who apply to, participate in, work for, or come into contact with programs and activities that are conducted by or receive financial assistance from DOL or, under certain circumstances, from other Federal agencies.

We carry out this mission by investigating and adjudicating discrimination complaints, conducting compliance reviews, providing technical assistance and training, and developing and publishing civil rights regulations, policies, and guidance. If you believe that you are a member of one of the groups that we protect or entities that we serve, we encourage you to read the information on this website to learn whether and how we can assist you.

What We Do

CRC's Office of External Enforcement (OEE) administers and enforces anti-discrimination laws that apply to the following entities:

  • Recipients of financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA);
  • American Job Center partners listed in WIOA Section 121(b) that offer programs or activities through the workforce development system;
  • For disability matters only, state and local governments and other public entities operating programs and activities related to labor and the workforce; and
  • Recipients of financial assistance from, or programs conducted by, DOL that are not included in the categories above. 

A few examples of covered entities include:

  • WIOA programs for adults, youth, and dislocated workers;
  • Employment and training programs for Native Americans and migrant and seasonal farm workers;
  • State employment services programs;
  • Unemployment Insurance programs;
  • The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) for older workers;
  • Job Corps;
  • Trade Adjustment Assistance Act Programs; and
  • Other grant programs that are administered by DOL agencies, such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Veterans' Employment and Training Service.

The laws administered and enforced by CRC generally prohibit discrimination on the bases of race, color, religion (including failure to accommodate religious beliefs, observances, or practices), sex, national origin (including limited proficiency in English), age, disability (including failure to provide facilities that are accessible; failure to provide accommodations or modifications of policies or procedures; or equally effective communications), and political affiliation or belief. 
In specific circumstances, as noted below, the laws enforced by CRC also prohibit discrimination on the following bases:

  • Citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States (for beneficiaries of WIOA-related programs or other programs or activities offered by a One-Stop partner through the One-Stop system).
  • Participation in a program or activity that receives financial assistance under WIOA Title I.
  • Status as a parent (in federally-conducted education and training programs, such as Job Corps).
  • Retaliation against, or intimidation of, anyone who takes the following actions related to nondiscrimination or equal opportunity:
    • Filing a discrimination complaint;
    • Opposing a practice illegal under civil rights law; or
    • Giving information to, testifying at, or taking part in an investigation, compliance review, hearing, or any other type of civil rights-related activity.

OEE processes, investigates, and makes decisions on complaints alleging discrimination by the recipients, partners, and programs listed above. 

CRC’s Office of Compliance and Policy (OCAP) supports CRC’s external enforcement efforts by:

  • Conducting compliance reviews, including reviews of Nondiscrimination Plans for State Programs, to ensure that the laws enforced by CRC are followed;
  • Providing technical assistance;
  • Conducting regular training and outreach presentations; and
  • Drafting, reviewing, and disseminating a variety of policy documents.

Laws Enforced by CRC’s Office of External Enforcement (OEE) and Office of Compliance and Policy (OCAP)

  • Section 188 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended
  • Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
  • Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended
  • Title II, Subpart A of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended
  • Executive Order 13160, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Race, Sex, Color, National Origin, Disability, Religion, Age, and Status as a Parent in Federally Conducted Education and Training Programs

CRC’s Office of Internal Enforcement (OIE) administers DOL's internal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program by counseling, facilitating mediation, investigating, and adjudicating complaints filed by DOL employees and applicants for DOL employment who allege discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, sex, age, and/or retaliation for engaging in protected Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) activity.

An individual engages in protected EEO activity when they:

  • Oppose a practice they consider to be discriminatory under the laws enforced by CRC/OIE noted below;
  • Participate in any stage of the complaint process (also known as administrative or judicial proceedings) under the laws enforced by CRC/OIE noted below, or
  • Engage in any other activity or right extended by the laws enforced by CRC/OIE noted below, including requesting a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs, observances, or practices; disability; or pregnancy and related medical conditions.

OIE also provides training and technical assistance on EEO matters to DOL managers, supervisors, and employees. Additionally, OIE advises management on internal EEO matters and develops and implements DOL’s EEO policies and procedures.
Laws Enforced by OIE

  • 29 CFR Section 1614
  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended
  • Sections 501 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), Pub. L. No. 110-135, 122 Stat. 3553
  • Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended
  • The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-2, 123 Stat. 5
  • The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000gg et seq.
  • Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008
  • Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended
  • Civil Rights Act of 1991
  • The Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002 (No FEAR Act), Pub. L. No. 107-174, 116 Stat. 566, as amended by the Cummings Act
  • The Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020 (Cummings Act), Pub. L. No. 116-283, Sec. 1131-38, 134 Stat. 3388, 3900-05 (Amending the No FEAR Act of 2002)
  • Executive Order 13087, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government
  • Executive Order 13152, Equal Employment Opportunity in the Federal Government
  • Executive Order 13163, Increasing the Opportunity for Individuals With Disabilities To Be Employed in the Federal Government
  • Executive Order 13164, Requiring Federal Agencies To Establish Procedures To Facilitate the Provision of Reasonable Accommodation
  • Executive Order 13548, Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

CRC's Centralized Office of Language Assistance (COLA) advances the Department's goals to improve access to DOL-conducted programs and activities for workers with limited English Proficiency (LEP). In addition to implementing the Department's Language Access Plan, COLA develops and provides technical assistance to DOL agencies to meaningfully advance language access efforts.
COLA manages the Department's enterprise-wide contracts for: 1) Professional Language Assistance Services, and 2) Translation, Interpretation, and Transcription Services. Together, these services directly support the Department's efforts to improve access to DOL-conducted programs and activities for individuals with LEP.