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Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity Statement

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, Civil Rights Center (CRC), U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-4123, Washington, DC 20210, or
  • Electronically as directed on the CRC website.

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 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 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.

The Equal Opportunity Manager/State Designated WIOA Equal Opportunity Officer for the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services is:

Patrenna White
Equal Opportunity Officer
Arkansas Department of Workforce Services
PO Box 2981
Little Rock, AR 72203-2981
Phone: (501) 682-3106
Email: Patrenna.White@arkansas.gov

Assurance Statement

As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor, under Title I of WIOA, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws:

  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  • The Age Discrimination Act of 1975
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program

Auxiliary aids and services available upon request for individuals with disabilities.

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.