The Special Emphasis Program promotes equal opportunity in hiring, advancement, training and treatment of each targeted group. This program advocates necessary change to overcome barriers that restrict equal employment opportunity for women, minorities and individuals with disabilities. The Special Emphasis Program encompasses the following programs:

• Native American / Alaskan Native employment program
• Asian / Pacific Islander employment program
• Black employment program
• Federal women's program
• Hispanic employment program
• Individuals with disabilities program

These programs were established to address those special employment issues and concerns affecting all employees and to serve in conjunction with all levels of management in designing a program that will further the installation's affirmative goals at Far East District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its tenant activities.

• Act as a channel for communication between the workforce and management, seeking to create a climate of understanding and cooperation.
• Analyze statistical data concerning the composition of the workforce by organization and type and grade of positions in order to identify those areas in which minorities, women and individuals with disabilities are significantly underrepresented.
• Study issues involved in complaints of discrimination in order to identify patterns of practices, attitudes and other problem areas that result in the denial of equal opportunity for minorities, women and the disabled in employment, promotion, training, awards retention and recognition.
• Provide leadership to assure equal employment opportunity for persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or religion.
• Assist in the development and the execution of affirmative employment goals and establish feasible timetables for accomplishment of those goals. 
• Assist in planning and coordination of special observance activities with the Equal Opportunity Advisor.
• Provide an avenue for effective communication between minorities, women, people with disabilities and the installation and the local community.

This Directive provides policy guidance and standards for establishing and maintaining effective affirmative programs of equal employment opportunity under Section 717 of Title VII and effective affirmative action programs under Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Directive also sets forth general reporting requirements. The overriding objective of this Directive is to ensure that all employees and applicants for employment enjoy equality of opportunity in the federal workplace regardless of race, sex, national origin, color, religion, disability or reprisal for engaging in prior protected activity.

 There are six essential elements of compliance in the implementation of a Model EEO Program:

 a. Demonstrated commitment from agency leadership

 b. Integration of EEO into the agency’s strategic mission

 c. Management and program accountability

 d. Proactive prevention of unlawful discrimination

 e. Efficiency

 f. Responsiveness and legal compliance

The MD-715 Report is an annual reporting requirement. Managers and supervisors are active participants in the establishment of a model EEO program. All directorates within USAG Vicenza are responsible for completing the Management Directive (MD) 715 Supervisory Checklist and identify proactive steps taken to eliminate organizational EEO barriers. Managers and supervisors should seek the advice of the EEO office in completing this requirement.

Commanders and senior officials are provided with a "State of the Agency" briefing covering all components of the report, including an assessment of the performance of the agency in each of the six essential elements of the Model EEO Program. A report on the progress of the agency in completing its barrier analysis is provided to the Department of the Army.

Training and education refers to the systemic approach taken by the agency to facilitate the learning of EEO job related competencies. This service provides employees with the necessary knowledge of EEO policies, practices and other available systems used to identify, prevent and eliminate barriers and discriminatory employment practices. The goal of training and education is to enable employees to transfer EEO knowledge, skills and behaviors into their day-to-day activities and work settings.

The following types of training are available through the Far East District's EEO Office are:

• Prevention of Sexual Harassment (Initial)
• Prevention of Sexual Harassment (Refresher: Supervisory and Non-Supervisory)*
• Basic EEO for Managers and Supervisors
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)*
• The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and reasonable accommodation procedures*
• Notification of Federal Employees Anti-Discriminatory/Retaliatory Act (No FEAR Act)*
• Remedial or sanctioned EEO training
• Other training opportunities

  *Biennial training requirements

From time to time, different training topics will be of Far East District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Army-wide importance and require special emphasis. These training topics will be announced and coordinated by the installation EEO office annually.

EEO Program officials advise and provide appropriate assistance to managers/supervisors about the status of EEO within their areas of responsibility. The following types of advisory services are available through the Far East District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers EEO Office:

• Organizational climate assessments and workforce demographics
• Sensing sessions or focus groups
• Research special problems

EEO Program officials provide assistance in the development of command policy to ensure a workplace free of discriminatory harassment and emphasize commitment to equal employment opportunity. The following types of compliance and program services are available through the Far East District EEO Office:

• Command policy statements
• Interpretation of applicable EEO laws and regulations
• Surveys
• Staff assistance visits and command inspections
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

A U.S. civilian employee, former employee or applicant for employment who believes he or she has been discriminated against in an employment matter may file complaints of discrimination on one or more bases. Click on each word for an explanation of the policies covering types of discrimination:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Disability (physical or mental)
• National origin
• Sex-based discrimination
• Sexual harassment (*Sexual harassment complaints against a uniformed service member or DOD civilian can also be addressed under Section 1561 of Title l0, U.S. Code.)
• Age discrimination (age 40 and over) (In lieu of the individual complaints process for age complaints, the complainant may serve the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with notice of intent to file a civil action and after 30 days, proceed directly into Federal Court)
• Retaliation (Reprisal for previous EEO protected activities or opposition to an unlawful employment practice under 29 CFR 1614)
• Genetic information (GINA)
• Employees claiming discrimination based on sexual orientation may seek redress from the Merit Systems Protection Board; the Office of Special Counsel; the Negotiated Grievance Procedures, if applicable or the Administration Grievance Procedure.

An EEO case is a situation where one perceives an injustice has occurred or a concerned should be addressed primarily because his/her: race, age-40 or older, color, national origin, disability-mental or physical, religion, sex and retaliation/reprisal based on past participation in protected EEO activities appear to be factors in the situation.

An employee grievance is an instance where one perceives an injustice has occurred or a concerned should be addressed, but illegal discrimination (race, age-40 or older, color, national origin, disability-mental or physical, religion, sex and retaliation/reprisal based on past participation in protected EEO activities) does not appear to be a factor in the situation.

The EEO office cannot provide a specific resolution date, time, and/or scenario. When multiple factors and parties are involved, full coordination of events must take place to resolve your issues. There are timeframes, however, surrounding the traditional EEO counseling and EEO counseling which includes ADR.

Under the traditional forms of EEO counseling, where no ADR is elected, the counselor has 30 calendar days to seek resolution to the matters raised during counseling.

Under EEO counseling where ADR is elected, the EEO counselor has 90 calendar days to seek resolution to the matters raised during counseling. If after the 30 or 90 days timeframe has passed-depending in which form of counseling is elected- and there is no resolution to the matters raised, the complainant will have 15 days to file a formal EEO complaint.

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment;
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis of employment decisions affecting an individual; or
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.