Office of Equal Employment Opportunity

About the Office

The mission of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (OEEO) is to create and apply best practices to achieve equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the workplace and to support compliance with anti-discrimination laws.  Our vision is the SEC serving as an employer of-choice that fosters an inclusive workplace dedicated to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mission.

OEEO is a neutral and independent office, reporting to the SEC Chair, comprised of a small team of diverse professionals.  We have significant expertise in legal and social science analysis, proactive prevention, conflict management, investigative techniques, federal sector EEO rules and processes, and program management.

The SEC employees are its most important resource. Our employees come from diverse backgrounds and work together to carry out our mission of serving the investing public. Equal employment opportunity at the SEC is a continuing commitment and we work to integrate EEO into the SEC’s everyday business.  OEEO safeguards employment-related civil rights at the SEC. We champion SEC efforts to foster a fair and equitable workplace—one where employment decisions are based on individual merit, and where everyone has an equal chance to succeed as far as their talents will take them. 

No FEAR Act Information

On May 15, 2002, Congress enacted the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002, which is now known as the No FEAR Act. One purpose of the Act is to “require that Federal agencies be accountable for violations of antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws.”  Pub. L. 107-174, Summary.  In support of this purpose, Congress found that “agencies cannot be run effectively if those agencies practice or tolerate discrimination.”  Pub. L. 107-74, Title I, General Provisions, Section 101(1). The No FEAR Act, as amended by the Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act of 2020,imposes duties upon Federal agencies intended to reinvigorate their longstanding obligation to provide a work environment free of discrimination and retaliation. 

The Act requires a notice to Federal employees, former Federal employees, and applicants for Federal employment to inform of the rights and protections available under Federal Anti-discrimination, Whistleblower Protection, and Retaliation Laws.

The Act also requires Federal agencies to publish and update formal complaint data on a quarterly basis.

• Data in HTML format
• Data in PDF format
• No FEAR Act Notice Full Text
• Annual No FEAR Act Report
• Whistleblower Protection Act Information
• Antidiscrimination Law Information