NASA Headquarters Informal Complaint Process

Statutes enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and implemented by NASA Headquarters Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management Division make it illegal to discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on the following bases: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. In addition, a person who files a complaint or participates in the EEO process, either as a complainant or a witness to a complaint of discrimination, or who opposes an employment practice made illegal under any of the statutes enforced by the EEOC is also protected from retaliation.

If you are an employee or applicant for employment who believes that you may be the victim of discrimination, you must contact an EEO Counselor at the NASA Headquarters Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management Division within 45-days of the alleged discriminatory action. See 29 C.F.R. Section 1614.105(a) (1). If an individual files an informal complaint of discrimination and chooses to undergo counseling as opposed to ADR, they will be assigned a trained EEO Counselor who will conduct a limited inquiry and seek resolution. Ordinarily, counseling must be completed within 30-days, but under special circumstances an aggrieved person or the agency may request an extension for up to 60-days, that may be granted in increments.

The Headquarters Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management Division emphasizes fairness in the informal complaint process by ensuring that counseling is conducted by trained and certified neutral parties. The Counselor is not an advocate for management or the aggrieved individual. NASA Headquarters Counselors will inform you fully about the counseling process and your rights.

If a resolution cannot be reached between an aggrieved individual and the responsible management official, the aggrieved individual will be issued a Notice of Right to File a formal complaint. Upon receipt, the aggrieved person has 15 calendar-days to file a formal complaint with the NASA Agency Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. If your claim is accepted by the Agency, an Investigator will be assigned to investigate your complaint.

For more information about the informal complaint process, please contact:

LaShawn McDuffie
Complaints Manager
(202) 358-0965