Welcome to the EEO Office

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Office

The EEO Office provides guidance to State Executive Branch departments (excluding the Department of Education and the University of Hawaii) on promoting and maintaining workplaces free of protected class related discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, to ensure compliance with federal and State non-discrimination laws. The EEO Office provides training, including the mandatory online EEO training on the Discrimination/Harassment Free Workplace Policy (601.001) and the Reasonable Accommodation Policy (601.002) for all Executive Branch employees.

An EEO designee or Civil Rights Compliance Officer is appointed in each State Executive Branch department. These designees work with the EEO Office to help assure equity, opportunity, and diversity within the department. State employees should feel free to contact their departmental EEO designee or the EEO Office with any EEO-related concerns.

Protected Classes

Agecovers all ages under state law and persons over 40 under federal law
Arrest/ Court Recordincludes records of arrests or convictions, unless conviction was within the last 10 years and has a rational relationship to the functions of the position
Ancestryrefers to lineage, heritage, or country from which a person or their family came
Breastfeeding & Expressing Milkcovers persons who are breastfeeding/expressing milk following childbirth
Citizenshipthe country(ies) of which a person is a citizen or whether they are a citizen of the United States
Colorrefers to the tone, lightness, or darkness of one’s skin, even between persons of the same race
Credit History/Credit Reportincludes credit history and credit report, unless credit has a substantial relationship to the functions of the position
Disabilitycovers physical and mental impairments that substantially limit major life activities or being regarded as having such an impairment
Domestic/Sexual Violence Victim Statusincludes situations in which the employer has actual knowledge of domestic or sexual violence victim status
Genetic Informationrefers to one’s own genetic information and their family’s genetic information and medical history
Income Assignment for Child Supportrefers to whether salary is being garnished due to a court order to pay child support
Marital/Civil Union Statuscovers whether one is single, married, or in a civil union
National Guard Absencecovers employees’ absences for service in the National Guard
National Originrelates to the country from which a person or their family came as well as their accent or name
Pregnancy & Reproductive Health Decisionsincludes being pregnant, recently giving birth, or having a pregnancy- or childbirth-related medical condition; also refers to pregnancy prevention/termination and use of assistive reproductive technology
Raceincludes all races and ethnicities as well as physical characteristics, such as hair texture or facial features
Religionincludes all aspects of religious beliefs, observance, and practice, as well as a lack of religious beliefs
Sex/Genderincludes assigned sex at birth, gender, gender identity, and gender expression
Sexual Orientationrefers to the attraction toward a certain sex or gender; includes perception of one’s sexual orientation, even if mistaken
Uniformed Servicerefers to one’s service in any branch of the U.S. armed forces
Veteran Statusincludes veterans who served in any branch of the U.S. military service

The State of Hawaii is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and provides equal opportunity in employment. As an employer, the State strives to promote and maintain a workplace free of protected class discrimination, including harassment, and retaliation, meaning all employees and applicants for State employment receive fair and equitable treatment regardless of their protected class. The State works proactively to identify and prevent protected class discrimination or harassment without regard to its severity or pervasiveness and does not require that discrimination or harassment rise to the level of unlawfulness before taking action.

Our Kuleana

Let’s work together to ensure an inclusive and equitable work environment!

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Every State employee is responsible for assuring their conduct respects the dignity of others.
Every State employee is expected to avoid retaliation against others who make complaints.
Every State employee is expected to provide information for an investigation of discrimination.