WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today released a new guide to help the federal government educate its employees on how to protect their rights to be free from employment discrimination. 

The report, A Practical Guide to Providing Employees with Adequate Information about Their Rights under Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Laws and Regulations, provides federal agencies various communication methods to ensure their employees and applicants for employment are fully aware of their rights under the equal employment opportunity laws and regulations. 

As one of the many efforts to preserve access to the legal system under the EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan / Federal Sector Complement Plan, the EEOC reached out to federal agencies, compiled their communication methods and has now issued this guide to share those methods with all federal agencies. The EEOC encourages agencies to utilize multiple communication methods, including electronic methods whenever possible.

The EEOC is charged with monitoring federal agency compliance with equal employment opportunity laws and procedures. It reviews and assesses the effect of agencies' compliance with requirements to maintain affirmative employment programs to promote equal employment opportunity, and to identify and eliminate barriers to equality of employment opportunity.