Anti-Harassment Policy

The Forest Service is committed to creating and maintaining a work environment in which all people are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect, and are free from harassment. This commitment extends to all Forest Service employees, contractors, and anyone who does business with us. We will hold any employee who engages in harassing behavior accountable. We can only take action when we are aware of the behavior, and encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses harassment by a Forest Service employee to immediately report it. Reports can be made to any Forest Service management official or by calling our Harassment Reporting Center toll free at (844) 815-8943. For more information, read the full Anti-Harassment Policy.

What is the Harassment Reporting Center? 

The Harassment Reporting Center was established in November 2017 to provide a dedicated resource to report harassment within the Forest Service. The Harassment Reporting Center is available 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern by calling their toll-free number – (844) 815-8943.

The Harassment Reporting Center can also answer many general questions about our policy, or forward questions to our Human Resources Management Employee Relations office for response.

What is the difference between our harassment reporting process and the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint process? 

The harassment reporting and EEO complaint processes are separate and distinct programs:

The harassment reporting process was implemented to provide a dedicated reporting method to investigate every allegation of harassment, and to promptly address and mitigate any inappropriate behavior in our workplace. The anti-harassment policy does not offer opportunities to request or receive remedy, and there is no entitlement to a hearing in front of a third party, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  

Anyone who wants to file a discrimination complaint based on age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual harassment, national origin, race, color, pregnancy, religion, or retaliation, must contact the Forest Service Office of Civil Rights to file an informal discrimination (EEO) complaint. It is important to note that filing a report of harassment through the Forest Service’s Harassment Reporting Center does not automatically result in an EEO complaint, nor does it extend any timeframes to file one. To file an EEO complaint or to speak with a Forest Service EEO counselor, please call (404) 347-1908.

What happens after I report an allegation of harassment?

After filing a report of harassment, an inquiry or investigation will begin. Anyone with relevant information should expect to be contacted by a FS official within 14 days. To protect the privacy of all individuals, the findings of an investigation will only be shared with Forest Service officials who need to implement any corrective actions or communicate with the parties.