[Redacted], Wanda S., 1 Complainant,v.Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service (Field Areas and Regions), Agency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Dec 13, 2022

Appeal No. 2022004582 (E.E.O.C. Dec. 13, 2022)

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION Office of Federal Operations P.O. Box 77960 Washington, DC 20013 Wanda S.,1 Complainant, v. Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, United States Postal Service (Field Areas and Regions), Agency. Appeal No. 2022004582 Agency No. 4G-300-0288-22 DECISION Complainant filed a timely appeal with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC or Commission) from the Agency's final decision dated August 18, 2022, dismissing her complaint alleging unlawful employment discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehabilitation Act), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 791 et seq., and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 621 et seq. BACKGROUND During the period at issue, Complainant worked as a Carrier at the Agency’s Lanier Carrier Annex in Cumming, Georgia. On March 30, 2022, Complainant initiated EEO Counselor contact. Informal efforts to resolve her concerns were unsuccessful. On July 14, 2022, Complainant filed a formal EEO complaint alleging the Agency subjected her to discrimination on the bases of race, sex, color, disability, age, and in reprisal for prior EEO activity when: 1 This case has been randomly assigned a pseudonym which will replace Complainant’s name when the decision is published to non-parties and the Commission’s website. 2022004582 2 1. On March 28, 2022, she was put on Emergency Placement (EP) and subsequently, on April 13, 2022, she was issued a 14-Day suspension; 2. On March 28, 2022, her Continuation of Pay (COP) was denied; 3. On May 10, 2022, she was issued a Notice of Removal (NOR) for Failure to Maintain Regular Attendance; and 4. On May 13, 2022, she was charged Absent Without Leave (AWOL). On August 18, 2022, the Agency dismissed the complaint as untimely filed. The Agency determined that the complaint was filed more than fifteen days after it determined Complainant had received the Notice of Right to File (hereinafter referred to as “Notice”) on June 18, 2022. In addition, regarding claim 2, the Agency dismissed this claim for failure to state a claim, pursuant to 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(1). Specifically, the Agency found the claim was a collateral attack on a decision by the Department of Labor’s Office Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The Agency stated that Complainant should have raised her allegations through the OWCP process, and not through the EEO complaint process. The instant appeal followed. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS Untimely Filing: Claims 1 - 4 The regulation set forth at 29 C.F.R. § 1614.107(a)(2) states, in pertinent part, that an agency shall dismiss a complaint which fails to comply with the applicable time limits contained in 29 C.F.R. § 1614.106(b) which in turn, requires the filing of a formal complaint within fifteen (15) days of receiving the right to do so. Based on a thorough review of the record, we determine that the Agency’s dismissal, due to the untimely filing of the formal complaint, was proper. The record shows the Notice was delivered and signed for at Complainant’s address of record on June 18, 2022. The Notice explicitly stated that a formal complaint had to be filed within fifteen (15) days of receipt of the Notice. However, Complainant waited until July 14, 2022, to file her formal complaint twenty-six (26) days after her receipt of the Notice. Complainant has not presented adequate justification for extending the limitation period beyond fifteen days. Failure to state a claim: An employee cannot use the EEO complaint process to lodge a collateral attack on another proceeding. See Wills v. Department of Defense, EEOC Request No. 05970596 (July 30, 1998); 2022004582 3 Kleinman v. U.S. Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05940585 (September 22, 1994); Lingad v. U.S. Postal Service, EEOC Request No. 05930106 (June 24, 1993). Alternatively, Complainant alleged that on March 28, 2022, her Continuation of Pay was denied. The proper forum for Complainant to have raised her challenges to decisions made during the workers’ compensation adjudicatory process is with the OWCP. It is inappropriate to now attempt to use the EEO process to collaterally attack actions which occurred through the OWCP process. The Agency also properly dismissed claim 2 for failure to state a claim. CONCLUSION The Agency’s final decision dismissing Complainant’s formal complaint for the reasons discussed above is AFFIRMED. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS - ON APPEAL RECONSIDERATION (M0920) The Commission may, in its discretion, reconsider this appellate decision if Complainant or the Agency submits a written request that contains arguments or evidence that tend to establish that: 1. The appellate decision involved a clearly erroneous interpretation of material fact or law; or 2. The appellate decision will have a substantial impact on the policies, practices, or operations of the agency. Requests for reconsideration must be filed with EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations (OFO) within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of this decision. If the party requesting reconsideration elects to file a statement or brief in support of the request, that statement or brief must be filed together with the request for reconsideration. A party shall have twenty (20) calendar days from receipt of another party’s request for reconsideration within which to submit a brief or statement in opposition. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.405; Equal Employment Opportunity Management Directive for 29 C.F.R. Part 1614 (EEO MD-110), at Chap. 9 § VII.B (Aug. 5, 2015). Complainant should submit his or her request for reconsideration, and any statement or brief in support of his or her request, via the EEOC Public Portal, which can be found at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov/Portal/Login.aspx Alternatively, Complainant can submit his or her request and arguments to the Director, Office of Federal Operations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, via regular mail addressed to P.O. Box 77960, Washington, DC 20013, or by certified mail addressed to 131 M Street, NE, Washington, DC 20507. 2022004582 4 In the absence of a legible postmark, a complainant’s request to reconsider shall be deemed timely filed if OFO receives it by mail within five days of the expiration of the applicable filing period. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604. An agency’s request for reconsideration must be submitted in digital format via the EEOC’s Federal Sector EEO Portal (FedSEP). See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.403(g). Either party’s request and/or statement or brief in opposition must also include proof of service on the other party, unless Complainant files his or her request via the EEOC Public Portal, in which case no proof of service is required. Failure to file within the 30-day time period will result in dismissal of the party’s request for reconsideration as untimely, unless extenuating circumstances prevented the timely filing of the request. Any supporting documentation must be submitted together with the request for reconsideration. The Commission will consider requests for reconsideration filed after the deadline only in very limited circumstances. See 29 C.F.R. § 1614.604(c). COMPLAINANT’S RIGHT TO FILE A CIVIL ACTION (S0610) You have the right to file a civil action in an appropriate United States District Court within ninety (90) calendar days from the date that you receive this decision. If you file a civil action, you must name as the defendant in the complaint the person who is the official Agency head or department head, identifying that person by his or her full name and official title. Failure to do so may result in the dismissal of your case in court. “Agency” or “department” means the national organization, and not the local office, facility or department in which you work. If you file a request to reconsider and also file a civil action, filing a civil action will terminate the administrative processing of your complaint. RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL (Z0815) If you want to file a civil action but cannot pay the fees, costs, or security to do so, you may request permission from the court to proceed with the civil action without paying these fees or costs. Similarly, if you cannot afford an attorney to represent you in the civil action, you may request the court to appoint an attorney for you. You must submit the requests for waiver of court costs or appointment of an attorney directly to the court, not the Commission. The court has the sole discretion to grant or deny these types of requests. 2022004582 5 Such requests do not alter the time limits for filing a civil action (please read the paragraph titled Complainant’s Right to File a Civil Action for the specific time limits). FOR THE COMMISSION: Carlton M. Hadden’s signature Carlton M. Hadden, Director Office of Federal Operations December 13, 2022 Date