Equal Opportunity

Equal Opportunity
This process for discrimination complaints should not be used if you are appealing an eligibility or monetary determination to unemployment benefits. See the appeals process.

It is against the law for a recipient of Federal financial assistance to discriminate on the following bases:

  • Against any individual in the United States, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, or political affiliation or belief; or
  • Against any beneficiary of, applicant to, or participant in programs financially assisted under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, on the basis of the individual's citizenship status or participation in any WIOA Title I - financially assisted program or activity.

The Federal financial recipient providing services must not discriminate against customers in any of the following areas:

  • Deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA Title I - financially assisted program or activity;
  • Providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or
  • Making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity.

What to Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination

If you think you have been subjected to discrimination under a WIOA Title I financially assisted program or activity, you may file a complaint within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation with either:

Sara Seaver
Equal Opportunity Officer
Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations
P.O. Box 510
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0510
Phone: 573-751-1339
Fax: 573-751-3668
Email: EO@labor.mo.gov
or
Civil Rights Center Director
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave, NW
Room N-4123
Washington, DC 20210
Phone: 202-693-6502
TTY: 202-693-6515
Fax: 202-693-6505
Email: CRCExternalComplaints@dol.gov

The Equal Opportunity Discrimination Complaint Form may be completed and submitted electronically, or you may print it out to present to a local Missouri Job Center or one of its affiliates.  You may also mail the form directly to the local or State Equal Opportunity Officer listed above.  If you are unable to fill out this form because of a disability, please contact the Equal Opportunity Officer for assistance.

If you file a complaint at the State or local workforce area, you must wait either until the recipient issues a written Notice of Final Action, or until 90 days have passed (whichever is sooner) before filing with the CRC at the above address. If the recipient accepts the issue for investigation, the recipient must offer you alternative dispute resolution in an effort to resolve your complaint.

If the State or local workforce area does not send a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which the complaint was filed, you do not have to wait for the recipient to issue that Notice before filing a complaint with CRC. However, you must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the 90-day deadline (in other words, within 120 days after the day on which you filed your original complaint with the recipient).

If you receive a written Notice of Final Action on your complaint, but you are dissatisfied with the decision or resolution, you may file a complaint with CRC. You must file your CRC complaint within 30 days of the date you received the Notice of Final Action.

If you feel you have been discriminated in employment, public accommodations, or housing, please read more about the Missouri Human Rights Act.