Please note that, because of a lapse in appropriations, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) is closed. OCWR staff, hearing officers, mediators, and court reporters are not available to respond to inquiries. Any requests for information, training, or other activity requiring an OCWR staff person to respond will not be handled while the OCWR is closed due to a lapse in appropriations.
Parties to a pending claim filed with the OCWR before September 23, 2025, will receive or have received an order or notice from the OCWR hearing officer or mediator handling the claim addressing scheduling, deadlines, or any other matters as they may be impacted by the lapse in funding and closure of the OCWR.
Parties to a claim filed with the OCWR on or after September 23, 2025, should note that no hearing officer has been appointed to handle the claim and, therefore, no OCWR procedural deadlines have been triggered. Upon the restoration of funding for the OCWR, the OCWR will process the claim, and further guidance will be forthcoming after that time. Any statutory deadline unrelated to proceedings before the OCWR, however, cannot be and has not been modified by the OCWR, including any deadline related to filing an action in a United States District Court or appealing an OCWR Board decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
For legislative branch employees who may have a claim or petition to file with the OCWR under the Congressional Accountability Act but have not yet filed their claim or petition, please note that during a lapse in appropriations and resulting closure of the OCWR office, covered employees may continue to file (1) claims through SOCRATES, the OCWR’s online filing system, or via electronic mail, postal mail, or facsimile and (2) petitions via electronic mail, postal mail, or facsimile. Because the OCWR office is closed, it will not be possible for a claimant to hand deliver a claim form or petition during a lapse in appropriations.
The following forms are provided to assist a claimant in pursuing a claim of a violation of sections 201–206 and 208 of the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA), 2 U.S.C. §§ 1311-1317, under the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR) Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process. Learn more about the ADR process on the Dispute Resolution page.
Request to Exceed Page Limit Form
Notice of Designation of Representative
Filing and Submission:
Please e-mail completed forms to OCWRefile@ocwr.gov; or hand-deliver to Room LA-200, John Adams Building, 110 Second Street SE, Washington, DC 20540-1999; or fax to (202) 426-1913.
The best method for filing a claim form with the OCWR is electronically through the OCWR’s Secure Online Claims Reporting and Tracking E-filing System (SOCRATES) web application. The claim form must be filed with the OCWR during the 180-day period that begins on the date of the alleged violation of the CAA. The OCWR may not process any untimely filed claims.
Filing the claim form initiates formal proceedings on a claim alleging that the CAA has been violated. Immediately after a claim form is submitted, a copy will be provided to the employing office. Visit the How to File a Claim with the OCWR page to learn more.
Please note: The OCWR provides employees the services of a Confidential Advisor. The Confidential Advisor is an experienced employment law attorney with extensive knowledge of the employee protection laws applied by the CAA. The Confidential Advisor may discuss employees’ workplace concerns and inform them of their rights and options under the CAA. The Confidential Advisor also may help employees draft a claim, but may not represent them in any proceeding. The Confidential Advisor will provide these services, at no cost, on a privileged and confidential basis.
*A special claim form must be used by applicants for employment vacancies with employing offices in the legislative branch to file a claim alleging violations(s) of the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (FCA), which is codified at Section 207 of the Congressional Accountability Act (CAA), 2 U.S.C. § 1316b. The FCA prohibits employing offices from requesting that applicants for most jobs disclose information on their arrest and conviction history before a conditional job offer is made.