The Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) has issued its 2019 Annual Report on the State of the Congressional Workplace. The OCWR is an independent, nonpartisan office of the legislative branch responsible for administering the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA). The CAA applies 13 workplace and accessibility laws to the legislative branch, including laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and harassment.

In December 2018, Congress passed significant reforms to the CAA that enhanced workplace protections for more than 30,000 employees and, in certain instances, to unpaid staff of the legislative branch. The CAA Reform Act requires employers to develop and implement anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training and revised the administrative dispute process available to employees to assert their workplace rights. The 2019 Annual Report includes information on OCWR programs and activities prior to and following the June 19, 2019 effective date of the CAA Reform Act.

According to the report, State of the Congressional Workplace, legislative branch employees are better protected due to the passage of the CAA Reform Act. In addition to revising the dispute resolution process, the Act created new statutory roles at the OCWR, including a confidential advisor who provides employees with information on their workplace rights and protections and who may assist in drafting a claim. The OCWR also provides the legislative branch with new and innovative training programs on various workplace topics.

“Our vision at the OCWR remains constant: a legislative branch free of discrimination and harassment, safety and health hazards, accessibility barriers, and employment and labor violations,” said OCWR Executive Director, Susan Grundmann. “We serve the legislative branch community as both a partner and a resource to achieve these goals.”