If you are a federal employee or job applicant, the law protects you from discrimination because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The law also protects you from retaliation if you oppose employment discrimination, file a complaint of discrimination, or participate in the EEO complaint process (even if the complaint is not yours).

There are also federal laws and regulations and Executive Orders that prohibit discrimination on other bases, such as sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, or political affiliation.

If you are a federal employee or job applicant and you believe that the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has discriminated against you, you have a right to file a complaint. The first step is to contact an EEO Counselor at the location where you work (if a BOP employee) or where you applied for a job (if an applicant). Generally, you must contact the EEO Counselor within 45 days from the day the discrimination occurred.

If you do not know who the EEO counselor, please contact the EEO Office at 202-514-6165. More information about the EEO process and procedures is available from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.