The 2021 Department of Defense Civilian Employee Workplace and Gender Relations Survey (WGRC): Results and Trends report contains results from the 2021 WGRC conducted from November 15, 2021 through January 24, 2022. The 2021 WGRC is designed to solicit information from both DoD appropriated fund (APF) and nonappropriated funds (NAF) civilian employees to estimate the prevalence rates of sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and sexual assault/unwanted sexual contact. Although initially planned for fielding during 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 2020 WGRC. The 2021 WGRC fulfills the Congressional mandate for a biennial survey assessment of the DoD civilian workplace outlined in Title 10 USC §481a. The 2021 WGRC was the third survey conducted to meet this statutory requirement and the second to include nonappropriated funds (NAF) civilian employees. This Results and Trends report provides the estimates from the 2021 WGRC and comparisons to estimates from prior WGRC surveys when appropriate.
Note: Prior to 2025, OPA research products used the term “gender” to describe men and women. These groups were defined using survey items and/or administrative data categories for “male” and “female”; therefore, references to gender should be understood to mean “sex”.