Arlington County, Virginia

Arlington is an area with a complicated and fascinating history. Although it was originally part of Virginia, Arlington County was, at one point, part of the area set aside for the nation’s capital. In 1791, a survey was conducted and a ten square mile area was set aside for the capital and Arlington fell within that survey.

Although most Virginians do not know this today, Arlington was once ceded to the federal government, and not for a short period of time. Arlington remained part of the capital until 1846, when it was returned to the Commonwealth.

Arlington has come a long way since then. These days Arlington County, Virginia has a population of over 227,000 individuals residing in 26.1 square miles of Virginia. Although it is the Commonwealth’s smallest county by land area (and, in fact, the smallest county by land area in the United States), Arlington would be Virginia’s fourth largest city if it were to be incorporated as a city.

Arlington provides a special link between the Virginia and Washington, DC. The immediate proximity to Washington (at least four bridges directly connect the two jurisdictions) creates a very close relationship. The federal government also conducts a great deal of business in Arlington.

Federal agencies frequently find their homes in Arlington. The following agencies are headquartered in Arlington, Virginia: the United States Department of Defense. DARPA, the National Science Foundation, the Transportation Security Administration, the Foreign Service Institute United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Marshals Service, the United States Trade and Development Agency, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Office of Naval Research.

These agencies bring jobs to Arlington in the form of both federal employment and work with federal contractors. Over 30,000 residents of Arlington are employed by the United States government with an additional 10,000 employed by Arlington County itself. The vast majority of the remaining large employers in Arlington of government contractors who work with the agencies mentioned above on federal government consulting, defense contracting, and other projects.

If you are a government employee, you have certain rights and protections, based upon your individual position. You might have appeal rights to the Merit Services Protection Board or other substantive rights if you are the victim of misconduct. You also have a specific process to follow to file a discrimination complaint with federal sector EEO that differs from the way that the private sector Equal Employment Opportunity Commission takes and investigates charges. If you are a federal employee who needs help, please contact us and we would be happy to assist you.

If an employment matter arises in Arlington County, an individual has the option of reporting that matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the local agency, the Office of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and the Americans with Disabilities Act, or both. Both the local Arlington agency, a Fair Employment Practices Agency (FEPA), which helps enforce antidiscrimination law locally, often in cooperation with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the EEOC are empowered to investigate claims of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or retaliation. The Arlington Office of Human Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action and the Americans with Disabilities Act office is located at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 318, Arlington, VA 22201, and can be reached by phone at 703.228.3929.

Our office is centrally located at1550 Wilson Blvd #700, Arlington, VA 22209, right on top of the Courthouse Metro Station on the Orange Line and just across the street from the Arlington County Courthouse. Call us at (703) 791-9087 or contact us through our website for directions to the office or a consultation.