LANGLEY AFB, VA. –
No employee should ever be afraid - especially here.
The No FEAR, or Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act online training should be completed by Dec. 17, and is required for all Langley Federal employees.
The No FEAR Act, created in 2002, protects current, former and potential federal employees from reprisals that could result from filing a complaint in the workplace by educating the workers on their rights regarding antidiscrimination and whistleblower issues, said Pam Gibson, Langley Equal Employment Opportunity office manager.
The No FEAR Act, keeps employees better informed and allows them to make educated decisions if faced with a discrimination or whistleblower issue, said Ms. Gibson.
No FEAR not only protects individuals, it also improves work centers, Ms. Gibson said.
"Supervisors and managers who are knowledgeable of antidiscrimination and whistleblower laws can be the first line of defense in eradicating the behaviors that can lead to complaints," Ms. Gibson said. "These complaints can have a negative impact on employees, work centers and the mission."
The first part of the No FEAR Act states employees must know their rights, which include the antidiscrimination laws - laws that prevent federal agencies from discriminating against employees with regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status or political affiliation.
Employees who feel they have been discriminated against can file a complaint with their local equal opportunity office.
The second part of the act protects people who file complaints from reprisals. The whistleblower protection laws prevent federal employees from taking action of any kind against those who file complaints. Doing so could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment, Ms. Gibson said.
People who believe they've been discriminated against can contact the 1st FW EEO office at 764-5066. For details on the Federal Antidiscrimination, Whistleblower Protection and Retaliation Laws, visit
www.eeoc.gov,
http://www.osc.gov or
https://wwwmil.langley.af.mil/wm_source/1_sptg_source/mss/cpf/Langley_No_Fear_Act_Notice.doc.
The online training can be accessed at
https://golearn.csd.disa.mil.