[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-177112-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-177112-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","settlement-agreement-handbook-drafting-and-legal-compliance-guidance","Settlement Agreement Handbook - Drafting and Legal Compliance Guidance","","Settlement Agreement Handbook outlines how the Department of Veterans Affairs manages and resolves EEO and related workplace disputes through settlement during administrative processing. It explains delegated authority within the Office of Resolution Management, establishes limits on relief compared with what a court could order, and references controlling regulations requiring voluntary, written, signed agreements. The handbook provides practical drafting tips, including using approved settlement templates, defining withdrawn complaints, avoiding improper waivers, and specifying responsibilities, dates, and realistic timeframes.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/settlement-agreement-handbook-drafting-and-legal-compliance-guidance/177112/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/settlement-agreement-handbook-drafting-and-legal-compliance-guidance/177112.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Quinn Holloway","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/octet-stream","2026-10-20","2026-09-02",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Who within VA has authority to decide or monitor settlement-related claims?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Within VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Policy and Compliance is delegated authority to decide breach of settlement agreement claims, resolve dissatisfaction with prior complaint processing, and monitor compliance with orders from OEDCA and EEOC.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What requirements make a settlement agreement binding under VA’s EEO process?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"EEOC regulations require reasonable efforts to settle early and provide that a knowingly and voluntarily agreed settlement, reached at any stage, is binding. 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It recommends using attached templates and ensuring provisions are understandable, comprehensive, and achievable within real administrative constraints.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},177112,1790190201,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":141,"read_time":142},2336474466712,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd","\u0013 INCLUDEPICTURE \"http://www.va.gov/ogc/images/ogcseal.gif\" \\* MERGEFORMATINET \u0014\n\u0015\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs\nOffice of Resolution Management\nEqual Employment Opportunity\nSettlement Agreement Handbook\nOffice of Policy & Compliance\nFor more information contact (202) 461-0200\nJanuary 2017\n\u000f\nIn November 1997, Public Law 105-114, delegated the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resolution Management authority to supervise and control the operation of VA’s administrative Equal Employment Opportunity Discrimination Complaint Process.  The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Resolution Management and District Managers are delegated authority to accept or dismiss discrimination complaints filed by employees, former employees, and applicants for employment.  Within the Office of Resolution Management (ORM), Policy and Compliance is delegated authority to decide breach of settlement agreement claims, resolve claims which express dissatisfaction with the processing of a previously filed employment discrimination complaint, and to monitor agency compliance with the orders and decisions issued by the Office of Employment Discrimination Complaint Adjudication (OEDCA) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  Policy and Compliance has no jurisdiction to address breach of non-EEO settlement agreement claims. When such claims are raised, ORM’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program should be contacted for review and response.\nPublic policy favors the amicable settlement of disputes. It is clear that this policy in favor of settlement of disputes applies particularly to employment discrimination cases. Agencies are encouraged to seek resolution of EEO complaints through settlement at any time during the administrative or judicial process.  Agencies and EEO complainants should be creative in considering settlement terms.\nThe EEOC’s strong support for settlement attempts at all stages of the EEO complaint process is codified in 29 C.F.R. § 1614.603, which states, “Each agency shall make reasonable efforts to voluntarily settle complaints of discrimination as early as possible in, and throughout, the administrative processing of complaints, including the pre-complaint counseling stage.”  EEOC Regulation 29 C.F.R. § 1614.504(a) provides that any settlement agreement knowingly and voluntarily agreed to by the parties, reached at any stage of the complaint process, shall be binding on both parties. The Commission has held that a settlement agreement constitutes a contract between the employee and the Agency, to which ordinary rules of contract construction apply. Herrington v. Department of Defense., EEOC Request No. 05960032 (1996).  A settlement agreement reached in the administrative process must be in writing and signed by both parties.  Settlements may not involve waiver of remedies for future violations. All settlement agreements must contain the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, 29 U.S.C. § 626, involving waivers of claims.  That is a waiver in settlement for individuals 40 years or older, must be knowing and voluntary.\nThe relief provided by an agency to settle an EEO dispute cannot be greater than the relief a court could order if that particular dispute were to go to trial.  Parties are encouraged to be creative in resolving an employment dispute and may agree to settle a complaint for relief that may be different than that which a court might order, as long as it is no greater than what a court might order.\n\u0013 EMBED Word.Picture.8  \u0014\n\u0015\n\u000f\nSETTLEMENT AGREEMENT TIPS\nUse the attached settlement templates when drafting agreements.  The EEO template will be used when a pending EEO complaint is being resolved as a result of the settlement.  The non-EEO template will be used when resolving a workplace dispute where the employee has not filed an EEO complaint.  While the content of these templates can be edited based on the mutual agreement of the parties, use of the documents to ensure legal compliance is recommended by ORM and ","cbCaicP9BJ2EOKV2","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicP9BJ2EOKV2","doc",475136,25,"English","# Settlement agreement framework\n## Delegated authority and jurisdiction limits\n## Policy favoring amicable resolution\n## Binding nature and required writing\n# Settlement agreement drafting tips\n## Use of templates and legal compliance\n## Scope, withdrawn complaints, and waiver limits\n## Provision clarity, responsibilities, and timelines\n## Coordination with DFAS and administrative actions","[{\"question\":\"Who within VA has authority to decide or monitor settlement-related claims?\",\"answer\":\"Within VA’s Office of Resolution Management, Policy and Compliance is delegated authority to decide breach of settlement agreement claims, resolve dissatisfaction with prior complaint processing, and monitor compliance with orders from OEDCA and EEOC.\"},{\"question\":\"What requirements make a settlement agreement binding under VA’s EEO process?\",\"answer\":\"EEOC regulations require reasonable efforts to settle early and provide that a knowingly and voluntarily agreed settlement, reached at any stage, is binding. An administrative settlement must be in writing and signed by both parties.\"},{\"question\":\"What key drafting guidance does the handbook provide for settlement terms and timelines?\",\"answer\":\"The agreement should be clear on who does what by when and include specific completion dates and reasonable timeframes. It recommends using attached templates and ensuring provisions are understandable, comprehensive, and achievable within real administrative constraints.\"}]","Settlement Agreement Handbook - Drafting and Legal Compliance Guidance | DOC",1788326594,9]