Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion

What We Do

The Office of Workforce Engagement (OWE) includes the Diversity and Inclusion Unit (D&I). Both offices are within the Department of Human Resources Management (DHRM). Collectively, each is dedicated to providing a broad range of leadership, services and guidance to the Commonwealth and its stakeholders.

The Office of Diversity, Opportunity, and Inclusion enforces DHRM Policy 2.05 Equal Employment Opportunity, which prohibits discrimination against state government employees and applicants for state government employment.

DHRM Policy 2.05 also prohibits retaliation against those individuals filing a discrimination complaint, participating in the complaint process, or opposing a discriminatory practice.

State employees alleging discrimination must first file a discrimination complaint with their agency for review and potential investigation. Please contact your agency’s Human Resources Department to initiate the process. Upon completing an investigation, the agency will issue the results via a Final Agency Decision (FAD). See Agency Responsibilities.

The D&I Unit acts as an appeals body to review complaints of discrimination after they have been adjudicated by the employing agency and a FAD is issued. The D&I Unit may accept complaints of discrimination filed directly with D&I if they qualify due to a conflict of interest.