NEW YORK -- The New York District Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) returns to normal operations in its principal office beginning, Monday, Jan. 7, 2013 after the disruption of service due to a man-made flood and the effects of Super Storm Sandy in the lower Manhattan area.
The federal agency, located at 33 Whitehall St. in lower Manhattan, had been forced to conduct business elsewhere under its continuity of operations plan since July 23, 2012, and refer some of its operations to other offices in its district, including Newark, Boston and Buffalo. A malfunction of a cooling unit flooded its main office's floors last July. As the agency was preparing to move back into its offices, Super Storm Sandy further disrupted operations with flooding, power outages and offices closures in lower Manhattan, including the office building housing the New York District Office.
"Throughout all the disruption and reconstruction, the staff of the New York District Office continued investigating, mediating, litigating and conduct hearings, while working in remote locations or teleworking," said District Director Kevin Berry. "All this is a testament to our dedication to the mission of the agency to eradicate discrimination under any conditions and service the public. I'm very proud of the professionalism of our staff."
During the New York District Office's period of closure, the public continued contacting the EEOC at 1-800-669-4000 or online at the EEOC website www.eeoc.gov. On Dec. 26, 2012, the intake unit at NYDO returned to 33 Whitehall Street and resumed intake on a normal schedule.
Beginning Jan. 7, 2013, all staff will once again be working out of the agency's location at 33 Whitehall St. The New York District Office is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Intake hours are Monday - Friday, from 9:00am to 3:00 pm. The office encourages individuals interested in filing a charge to call 1-800-669-4000 for information and pre-screening by an intake information representative before visiting the office.
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.
