State of Delaware, Department of Labor
Division of Employment and Training
Applicant's or Registrant's Rights
Equal Opportunity Is the Law
It is against the law for this 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 (WIOA), on the basis of the individual's citizenship status or participation in any WIOA Title I–financially assisted program or activity.
The recipient must not discriminate 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.
Recipients of federal financial assistance must take reasonable steps to ensure that communications with individuals with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. This means that, upon request and at no cost to the individual, recipients are required to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services to qualified individuals with disabilities.
What To Do If You Believe You Have Experienced Discrimination
If you think that 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: the recipient's Equal Opportunity Officer (or the person whom the recipient has designated for this purpose) or the Director of the Civil Rights Center.
The person(s) designated for all WIOA-funded equal opportunity issues/complaints is:
Wanda Holifield
Division of Employment & Training (DET)
4425 N. Market Street
Wilmington, DE 19802
Email: Wanda.Holifield@delaware.gov
Phone: (302) 761-8165
Fax: (302) 761-4689
TTY: (800) 232-5470
Web: www.delawarerelay.com
Or
Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC)
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123
Washington, DC 20210
Web: www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc
If you file your complaint with the recipient, 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 Civil Rights Center (see address above). If the recipient does not give you a written Notice of Final Action within 90 days of the day on which you filed your complaint, you may file a complaint with CRC before receiving that Notice. 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 complaint with the recipient). If the recipient does give you 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 on which you received the Notice of Final Action.
A complainant may file a complaint with either of the DET staff indicated above or the Director of the Civil Rights Center (CRC). Complaints filed with the Director should be sent to: The Director, Civil Rights Center (CRC), U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123, Washington, DC 20210.
Each complaint must be filed in writing and must contain the following information:
- The complainant's name and address (or another means of contacting the complainant);
- The identity of the respondent (the individual or entity that the complainant alleges is responsible for the discrimination);
- A description of the complainant's allegations. This description must include enough detail to allow the Director of CRC or DET, as applicable, to decide whether:
- CRC or DET, as applicable, has jurisdiction over the complaint.
- Whether the complaint was filed in time.
- The complaint has apparent merit; in other words, whether the complainant's allegations, if true, would violate any of the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA.
- The complainant's signature or the signature of the complainant's authorized representative.
The WIOA representative will give the complainant a choice whether to use the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) or the customary process. A party to any agreement reached under ADR may file a complaint with the Director in the event the agreement is breached.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Notice Regarding Job Bank Nondiscrimination and Hiring Restrictions Based on an Individual’s Unemployment Status
Employers may not automatically exclude job seekers based on their unemployment status unless the employer can show that an unemployment status restriction is related to the job posted and consistent with the employer’s business needs. This type of screening requirement may unjustifiably limit the employment opportunities of applicants in protected groups and may therefore violate federal civil rights laws.
Fair Credit Reporting Act
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires an employer to obtain the applicant's permission before asking a background screening company for a criminal history report, and requires the employer to provide the applicant with a copy of the report and a summary of the applicant's rights before the employer takes an adverse action (such as denying an application for employment) based on information in the criminal history report. For more information read about Background Checks.
Employers may not automatically exclude job seekers based on their credit history unless the employer can show that a credit history restriction is related to the job posted and consistent with the employer’s business needs. While employers are permitted to use credit reports in hiring and other decisions, this type of screening requirement may unjustifiably limit the employment opportunities of applicants in protected groups and may therefore violate federal civil rights laws.
