Federal Reporting
Table of Contents
Last updated: December 23, 2025
Overview
The University of Washington collects certain information from applicants and employees in order to comply with federal and state government requirements. To comply with these laws, we ask applicants and employees to provide information about their race, ethnicity, disability status and veteran status. All responses are kept confidential in accordance with applicable federal and state laws, and maintained separately from your applicant materials, and if hired, your official personnel files. Federal reporting data is collected and maintained in Workday.
Definitions
The following definitions are derived from applicable federal regulations and statutes.
Hispanic or Latino
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
Race Categories
- White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
- Black or African-American: A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
- Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Disability Status
A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability.
Disabilities include, but are not limited to:
- Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
- Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, or HIV/AIDS
- Blind or low vision
- Cancer (past or present)
- Cardiovascular or heart disease
- Celiac disease
- Cerebral palsy
- Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
- Diabetes
- Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
- Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
- Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn’s Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
- Intellectual or developmental disability
- Mental conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
- Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
- Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
- Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, or other learning disabilities
- Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
- Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
- Short stature (dwarfism)
Protected Veteran Categories
- Disabled Veteran: One of the following:
- A veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or
- A person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
- Recently Separated Veteran: A veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service.
- Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veteran: A veteran who served on active duty (A) in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service in any campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense or (B) during one or more of the periods of war described below:
- Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950–January 31, 1955;
- Vietnam Era: February 28, 1961–May 7, 1975 for veterans serving in the Republic of Vietnam or August 5, 1964–May 7, 1975 for all other cases;
- Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990–current.
- Armed Forces Service Medal Veteran: A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order No. 12985.
Other Veterans and those who have not served in the U.S. military
For employees who served in the United States military, the OFCCP has developed an infographic for determining which category may be the best fit: Am I a protected veteran?
- For employees who served in the United States military, but none of the VEVRAA categories linked above apply, they may want to select “I am not a protected veteran” or “I decline to disclose my veteran status.”
- For employees who have not served in the United States military, including employees who have served in other countries’ militaries besides the United States, they may want to select “Non-veteran” or “I decline to disclose my veteran status.”
Availability of Affirmative Action Program (AAP)
Notice to applicants and employees of availability of AAP for protected veterans and for individuals with a disability (41 C.F.R. 60-300.41 and 41 C.F.R. 60-741.41).
The University of Washington is a covered federal contractor or subcontractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), as amended and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. UW is bound by the terms of VEVRAA and Section 503, shall not discriminate against individuals with disabilities, and is committed to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
The University maintains an Affirmative Action Program for the purpose of proactively seeking employment and advancement in employment of qualified protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Upon request, the University of Washington will provide you with the Affirmative Action Plan for protected veterans and individuals with a disability. Submit written requests to Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) at UW Box 354960; 4320 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98195-4960; or email at eoaa@uw.edu.
AAP Utilization Goal and Hiring Benchmark
On an annual basis, the University will compare the representation of employees with known disabilities in our workforce with the utilization goal identified by the Department of Labor. The utilization goal for qualified individuals with disabilities serves as an equal employment opportunity objective that should be attainable with the affirmative action measures included in the Affirmative Action Program.
Also, we establish a hiring benchmark to provide the University with a quantifiable method by which it can measure its progress toward achieving equal employment opportunity for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
The utilization goal and the hiring benchmark are not quotas that must be met, nor are they to be considered a ceiling that limits or restricts the employment of individuals with disabilities or protected veterans. The University does not consider protected characteristics in employment, except where required by law, such as compliance with veterans’ preference.
Federal contractors are required to:
- Set an annual hiring benchmark for protected veterans (OFCCP benchmark percentage given as of July 30, 2025, is 5.1%)
- Set a utilization goal for employment of individuals with disabilities (OFCCP goal for federal contractors is 7%)
Effective Outreach for Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans
As a federal contractor, the University is obligated to conduct outreach to expand the pool of applicants who identify as veterans or having a disability.
Such outreach efforts can include, but are not limited to, proactively placing advertisements with resources serving veterans or individuals with disabilities or attending veteran or disability job fairs.
Where such outreach efforts are taken, the University must document what effort was undertaken and evaluate if the effort was effective in expanding veteran or disability participation.
Resources and assistance
Questions about the affirmative action plan and government reporting data can be directed to eoaa@uw.edu.
Requests for employment data can be made to hris@uw.edu.
Assistance with Workday can be requested from hrhelp@uw.edu.