OPM is proposing to rewrite various rules affecting federal workplace anti-discrimination policies to make them more consistent and to bring them in line with several changes in law of recent years. According to a Federal Register notice of today (September 4), the changes will be made in rules affecting policies such as hiring, grievances and appeals, promotions, training, intergovernmental transfers and student loan reimbursements. For rights grounded in the Civil Rights Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act or the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, policies willreflect prohibitions under those laws against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex(including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age (as defined by the ADEA), disability, genetic information, and retaliation for exercising rights under those laws. For rights grounded in civil service laws, the provisions will reflect those restrictions plus prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, labor organization affiliation or non-affiliation, status as a parent, or any other non-merit-based factor, as well as retaliation for exercising rights under the pertinent laws.
