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Equal Employment Opportunity: NIH's Handling of Alleged Sexual Harassment and Sex Discrimination Matters

GGD-95-192 Published: Sep 29, 1995. Publicly Released: Oct 17, 1995.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the extent and nature of sexual harassment and sex discrimination at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Health and Human Services The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director, NIH, should take steps to decrease the time it takes to process and resolve sexual harassment and sex discrimination complaints at NIH. In addition, because the Director is responsible for ensuring an appropriate EEO climate throughout NIH despite the decentralized management structure and practices of the agency, the Director should take further steps to provide guidance for and monitoring of NIH EEO program.
Closed – Implemented
NIH said it took steps to decrease the time it takes to process and resolve sexual harassment and sex discrimination complaints. NIH said it had increased the number of staff processing complaints, that this has led to reduced caseloads for specialists, and that this, in turn, should result in more timely processing. Additionally, the Department delegated NIH the authority to accept and dismiss complaints, investigate complaints, and authorize settlement agreements containing provisions for back pay and attorneys' fees. The Department believes these delegations will speed resolutions by giving NIH more control over and accountability for the complaint investigation and resolution process.
National Institutes of Health The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director, NIH, should take steps to decrease the time it takes to process and resolve sexual harassment and sex discrimination complaints at NIH. In addition, because the Director is responsible for ensuring an appropriate EEO climate throughout NIH despite the decentralized management structure and practices of the agency, the Director should take further steps to provide guidance for and monitoring of NIH EEO program.
Closed – Implemented
The Department concurred stating that an initiative was under way to provide minimum standards for agency policy statements, information, and training and that an NIH-wide policy statement on sexual harassment prevention was being reissued. Also, articles related to the prevention of sexual harassment were to be published periodically in agency-related publications.
National Institutes of Health The Director, NIH, should consider periodically conducting an employee attitude survey, such as the one GAO developed, so that the existence of sexual harassment and sex discrimination trends and problems can be more easily identified and dealt with.
Closed – Implemented
The agency informed GAO that, within 3 years, it will develop and distribute an employee attitude survey instrument as a means of identifying sexual harassment and sex discrimination trends and problems at NIH. NIH says it will use the baseline data over time to assess improvement and the effectiveness of programs to eradicate discrimination.
National Institutes of Health The Director, NIH, should consider establishing minimum standards for sexual harassment and sex discrimination-related training offered to NIH employees as well as procedures for monitoring the implementation of the training to ensure that employees participate as intended.
Closed – Implemented
The Department stated that an initiative was under way to provide minimum standards for agency policy statements, information, and training.

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Topics

Agency proceedingsCivil rights law enforcementFair employment programsFederal employeesEmployee trainingPersonnel managementSex discriminationSexual harassmentSurveysGovernment employees