FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — The year’s Equal Employment Opportunity, Anti-Harassment and No-Fear Training provided an opportunity for EEO professionals to interact with employees and answer questions directly.
The mandatory in-person training, held every second Wednesday of each month at Palmer Theater here, saw employees from departments and organizations all across the installation gather to receive insight, instruction and clarity on EEO best practices, policies and procedures.
The change in format stemmed from a Department of the Army mandate, changing the traditionally impersonal online forum to a more personal face-to-face event.
The Fort Cavazos EEO mission is to “enhance the Fort Cavazos leadership’s commitment to equal employment opportunity through implementation of strong equal employment opportunity programs and affirmative employment plans regardless of race, color, religion, sex (gender identity, transgender, pregnancy and sexual orientation), national origin, age, genetic information, physical or mental disability,” according to the Army website.
The training underscored the mission statement and reiterated employees’ rights to a harassment, discrimination and reprisal free workplace.
“We’re all in here together to make the Great Place a great place,” said EEO Manager Ana Videtto as she addressed the attendees. “We all have a responsibility to make sure that our work environment is free from harassment and discrimination. We have all sorts of workers that make a difference one way or the other. Everybody here makes this place a great place.”
Videtto stressed the fact that EEO is neutral and one of the few programs in the Army that is mandated by public law.
“We don’t side with employees, we don’t side with supervisors,” she said. “We follow the law.”
Videtto and her team explained that Army EEO policies and procedures protect employees from unlawful discrimination in the terms, conditions and benefits of their employment, listing examples such as hiring, salary, promotion, reassignments, leave, awards, performance evaluations, training, career development programs, job classification, reprimands, suspensions and terminations.
Videtto, along with other EEO team members, engaged with the audience and fielded questions about varying circumstances that could warrant EEO complaints and how to handle them.
The EEO team used a variety of slides to provide information about reasonable accommodations, sexual harassment, retaliation and reprisal and discrimination based on factors such as age, gender, race and religion.
“It’s important to make sure no one is discriminated against, and everyone is treated equally and fairly regardless of gender race, creed or orientation,” Kenneth Zapanta, operations specialist for the Fort Cavazos Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, said about the training. “It’s very important to me that the EEO program is in place for not only this organization but every type of organization, whether it’s federal, civilian or military.”
Dabran Carthen, budget analyst for the Fort Cavazos Resource Management Office, said she was partial to the convenience of the online platform but felt the training was important overall.
“Just being in the workplace, you need to know what your rights are as an employee of the Department of the Army,” she said.
Videtto agreed, adding that the feedback from attendees helps the EEO office work more efficiently.
“The more we know, the better we can do,” she said.
To file an EEO complaint, contact the Fort Cavazos EEO Office at 254-287-4910 within 45 calendar days of the alleged discrimination act or the date the employee first becomes aware of alleged discrimination or, in cases of ongoing discrimination, within 45 calendar days of the most recent incident of alleged discrimination.
The Fort Cavazos EEO Office is located at 1001 761st Tank Battalion Ave., Rm W209. Employees can also call 254-291-5717 to file anonymous complaints.
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