§481a — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must run a survey of Department of Defense civilian employees every other fiscal year. The survey is called the “Department of Defense Civilian Employee Workplace and Gender Relations Survey.” It asks about how men and women get along at work, how often civilian employees experienced assaults (including unwanted sexual contact) in the last fiscal year, and whether policies and complaint and investigation processes work. The Secretary can also include other related issues. When the survey is done, the Secretary must send the results to Congress. The Secretary may delay a survey if a war or national emergency is declared by the President or Congress, but must do it as soon as possible after the emergency ends and must tell Congress within 30 days of postponing it.

Title 10, §481a

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary of Defense shall carry out every other fiscal year a survey of civilian employees of the Department of Defense to solicit information on gender issues, including issues relating to gender-based assault (including unwanted sexual contact), harassment, and discrimination, and the climate in the Department for forming professional relationships between male and female civilian employees of the Department.

(2)Each survey under this section shall be known as a “Department of Defense Civilian Employee Workplace and Gender Relations Survey”.

(b)Each survey conducted under this section shall be conducted so as to solicit information on the following:

(1)Indicators of positive and negative trends for professional and personal relationships between male and female civilian employees of the Department of Defense.

(2)The specific types of assault (including unwanted sexual contact) on civilian employees of the Department by other personnel of the Department (including contractor personnel) that have occurred, and the number of times each respondent has been so assaulted during the preceding fiscal year.

(3)The effectiveness of Department policies designed to improve professional relationships between male and female civilian employees of the Department.

(4)The effectiveness of current processes for complaints on and investigations into gender-based assault (including unwanted sexual contact), harassment, and discrimination involving civilian employees of the Department.

(5)Any other issues relating to assault (including unwanted sexual contact), harassment, or discrimination involving civilian employees of the Department that the Secretary considers appropriate.

(c)Upon the completion of a survey under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the survey.

(d)(1)The Secretary of Defense may postpone the conduct of a survey under this section if the Secretary determines that conducting such survey is not practicable due to a war or national emergency declared by the President or Congress.

(2)The Secretary shall ensure that a survey postponed under paragraph (1) is conducted as soon as practicable after the end of the period of war or national emergency concerned, or earlier if the Secretary determines appropriate.

(3)The Secretary shall notify Congress of a determination under paragraph (1) not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary makes such determination.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283 added subsec. (d). 2019—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 116–92 inserted “(including unwanted sexual contact)” after “assault” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2019 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–92 effective Dec. 20, 2019, and applicable with respect to surveys under this section that are initiated after such date, see section 591(c) of Pub. L. 116–92, set out as a note under section 481 of this title. Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective Dec. 31, 2021, of provisions in subsec. (c) of this section requiring submittal of report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title. Initial Survey Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(3), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3518, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense shall carry out the first survey required by section 481a of title 10, United States Code (as added by this subsection), during fiscal year 2016.”

§481a Workplace and gender relations issues: surveys of Department of Defense civilian employees