FEMA releases survey results on harassment and discrimination within its workforce
The RAND Corporation released results from a 2019 survey requested by FEMA which was designed to estimate the prevalence of workplace harassment and discrimination within the agency.
The survey, focused on the timeframe of spring 2018 through spring 2019, found 20% of FEMA employees reported experiencing a civil rights violation on the basis of sex, and 18.4% of employees reported experiencing a violation on the basis of race or ethnicity. The report also suggests that during this time period women had a less positive experience in the workplace overall, when compared to their male counterparts. Further, the survey identified for the same time period, a gap in trust between employees and agency senior leaders; that employees felt barriers to reporting civil rights violations existed; and that some employees who did report violations or misconduct also indicated experiencing retaliation.