The Office of Equity & Environmental Justice (OEEJ) is responsible for receiving, reviewing, processing, and investigating EEO cases in DPW. Employees may file a discrimination complaint if they believe they individually or as a member of a specific class of persons, have been subjected to employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or Baltimore City law.
Employees may contact the OEEJ’s EEO Hotline by calling 443-984-9912 or via email.
The EEO complaints process is in compliance with Baltimore City's Administrative Manual 204-18, as well as regulations set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Complaints must be filed within 300 days of the alleged act of discrimination. Concerns regarding discrimination or harassment should be brought to the attention of a supervisor or manager, or the EEO Officer assigned to DPW. Where a complaint is first received by a supervisor, the supervisor shall promptly refer the matter to the OEEJ.
Using the DPW EEO internal process does not count toward the time for filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR), or the Baltimore City Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR). Complainants are encouraged to file with one of the three regulatory agencies if their complaint is more than 240 days old. This enables the complainant the ability to preserve their right to sue in court.
DPW’s internal process is neither a prerequisite for any outside investigative agencies nor will the DPW process provide access to filing a civil action as issuance of a Notice of Right to Sue. The civil action issuance can only be issued by the EEOC, MCCR, or the OECR. Employees are advised to seek independent legal counsel for additional clarification.