Employee Relations (ER) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Support

The NCDHHS Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Employee Relations (ER) public webpage provides former probationary, career state employees and applicants with a way to submit EEO complaints or ER grievances.
 
This site provides individuals with the opportunity to:

• Review information to gain a better understanding of both the ER and EEO processes.
• Access online forms to submit ER grievances and/or EEO complaints.
• Submit general employee relations inquiries for support.  

This NCDHHS EEO and ER Employee Support webpage is designed to be self-service and mobile-friendly.  

Employee Relations Guidance and Support

What you need to know about filing an ER grievance:

• If you have experienced unlawful discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation, your complaint will proceed through the EEO complaint process.
• Once a determination is made from the EEO process, you have 15 days from that date to file a formal grievance.
• If your grievance is not related to unlawful discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation, review which matters are eligible to grieve based on your employment status.
• Certain issues may be grieved through an informal discussion at the agency level only, while other issues must first be grieved through the formal internal grievance process. Please review the ER at a Glance document and the OSHR Grievance Policy for more information on which issues are grievable and how to grieve them.
• An informal discussion request must occur within 15 calendar days of the alleged event or action that is the basis of the grievance.
• For a formal grievance, you must file within 15 calendar days of the alleged event, that is the basis of the grievance or within 15 calendar days of receiving a response at the conclusion of any informal processes.
• For further guidance, please review the ER at a Glance document.

Applicants and Former Employees

To file an employee relations grievance:   

• Download and complete the fillable Employee Relations Grievance Filing Form and submit it to  DHHS.ER@dhhs.nc.gov.
• When completing the statement section, please use a Word document to continue your statement if you notice your text size decreasing. Attach this Word document to your email when submitting your Employee Relations Grievance Filing Form.

For questions related to the Employee Relations Grievance Filing process, you may email DHHS.ER@dhhs.nc.gov or call 919-855-4940.

Current NCDHHS Employees

To file an employee relations grievance, submit the employee relations grievance form by:   

• Downloading and completing the fillable Employee Relations Grievance Filing Form and submitting it to your Division HR Business Partner (HRBP) or Facility HR Manager (HRM). 

If you can’t find what you need above, contact an HR Specialist in one of the following ways:  

• Facility/School Employees: Contact the local Employee Relations Specialist in your Facility or School Human Resources office.  
• Division Employees: Submit your inquiry for support via the Employee Relations (ER) Inquiry Service Email. Your submitted request will be addressed within two business days, depending on the order of the submission, the level of urgency and the complexity of the inquiry, as well as the workload and volume of the ER staff. 

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Guidance and Support 

What you need to know about filing an EEO complaint: 

• Regardless of employment status within the agency, if you have experienced unlawful discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation, you may file a complaint internally with the agency, externally with the EEOC, or both.
• You have 15 calendar days from the date of the alleged discriminatory or retaliatory action to file an internal EEO complaint.
• Unlawful discrimination is unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), age (40 or older), political affiliation, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information or disability
• Unlawful harassment is unsolicited and unwelcomed speech or conduct based of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), age (40 or older), political affiliation, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information or disability where enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
• Unlawful retaliation is any adverse action taken against an individual for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit related to discriminatory employment practices based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age (40 or older) political affiliation, National Guard or veteran status, genetic information or disability because or opposition to employment practices in violation of the unlawful workplace harassment policy.
• Internal agency EEO Complaints must be filed with the designated EEO personnel within 15 days of the alleged unlawful event.
• For further guidance, please review the EEO at a Glance document.

To file an EEO complaint, submit the EEO Informal Complaint Intake Form in one of the following ways: 

• Download and complete the paper Informal Complaint Intake Form and submit via mail or email to:  
  Attn: EEO Director | NCDHHS Office of Equal Employment Opportunity 
  2001 Mail Service Center 
  Raleigh, NC 27699-2001 
  Email: EEODandI@DHHS.nc.gov 

Note that at any point in the process, you may simultaneously file with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  For questions related to EEO, call: 984-332-4605. 

Guidance and Policy Quick Links