Connectivity issues or other problems that render the member unable to participate on camera. Members participating remotely will remain muted when not recognized, just like turning your microphone on and off. This is out of courtesy to all members on the committee. When you are recognized, you will need to unmute your microphone and pause for a couple of seconds before speaking so that well be able to hear everything that you say. If you wish to be recognized, raise your hand using the webex raise hand option, unmute your microphone and asked to be recognized. I ask that members pause for two or three seconds before beginning to speak. If you wish to have a document inserted in the record, ask for unanimous consent and which your staff email that document. It will be uploaded to the Committee Document repository. Please keep in mind that you will need to refresh the repository page as it does not automatically update. Members will be recognized in order of committee seniority for ques
Of your words and you can pause when answering questions so that we capture your complete response. Thank you very much and ms. Barnes, youre now recognized for five minutes. Ms. Bans, yrnes, you may have t unmute. I think were having trouble hearing you. Proceed, ms. Barnes. I think you just unmuted. Okay. Chairman pappas, chairwoman brownley, Ranking Member bergman, chairman takano, members of the subcommittee and task force, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss gaos work for Sexual Harassment at the department of veteran affairs. I will talk about statements from my june report released last week. The protection board estimated that 22 of va employees experience some form of Sexual Harassment in the workplace. Va has several methods to address such Sexual Harassment complaints. But we found that the agency was falling short in a number of areas. Including one, its complaint structure, collection of incidents on Sexual Harassment and actions taken, and, three, provision in
American veterans. We will hear the opening statements. I will remind you to pause two to three seconds before spe speaking, so the microphone picks up your words and so you can pause when answering questions so we capture your complete response. Thank you very much, ms. Barnes, you are recognized for five minutes. Ms. Barnes, you may have to unmute. I think were having trouble hearing you. Proceed, ms. Barnes. I think you just unmuted okay. Members of the subcommittee and task force, thank you for inviting me here to today to discuss Sexual Harassment at the department of Veterans Affairs. 2016 survey by the protection board estimated that 22 of va employees experienced some form of Sexual Harassment in the workplace. Va has several methods to address such Sexual Harassment complaints, but we found that the agency was falling short in a number of areas including one, the complaint structure, the [inaudible] and three [inaudible] to va employees. I will discuss issues with the complain
Technical support you can resolve your issues immediately. Under a member unable to be on the committee and subcommittee policy that members remotely remain would not recommend like turning microphone on and off during an in person hearing. Background noise interview member to speak. You unmute your microphone and pause a couple of seconds before speaking so we can hear everything you say. If you wish to be recognize, raise your hand using the race hand function unmute your microphone and asked to be recognized. In order to ensure everything is captured on the lifestream, i asked members pause for two or three beginning to speak. If you wish to have a document inserted into the record, ask for unanimous consent and have your staff email the document to Veterans Affairs during mal male. Gov. Well be putting the repository. Keep in mind you will need to refresh page as it does not automatically update members will rest in order of seniority questioning witnesses today. This will make it
V. A. Officials appeared before a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee to explain what is being done to address the issue. This hearing is about an hour and a sexualharassment affects the rights and wellbeings of employees. An estimated 17 of the v. A. s four hundred thousand employees experienced Sexual Harassment in the preceding two years. This exceeds a governmentwide average of 11 and may be the highest rate of sexualharassment across federal workforce. These figures show an unacceptable situation. And the severity and pervasiveness of sexualharassment within v. A. Is not new. I wish i could say the department has done all it can, but despite very high levels of sexualharassment reported in anonymous surveys, 17 to 400,000 employees. They are afraid they will be blamed or socially ostracized. That means employers are not getting the help they need and injustices are not being corrected. Over the last two years, v. A. Has made progress. One of secretary mcdonaghs first acts was to m