The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Certain federal laws protect you against certain types of unfair treatment at work. Discrimination at work is the most often form of unfairness cited by our clients.
Employment discrimination involves:
Unfair treatment because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in your workplace, because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
Denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation that you need because of your religious beliefs or disability.
Retaliation because you complained about job discrimination, or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
If you suffer discrimination at work, you can file a Charge of Discrimination with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”). In fact, all of the laws enforced by EEOC, except for the Equal Pay Act, require you to file a Charge of Discrimination with that agency before you can file a lawsuit against your employer.
Importantly, not all companies are covered by the laws that the EEOC enforces, and not all employees are protected. It is different depending on the type of employer, the number of employees it has, and the type of discrimination alleged.
We advise clients that there are strict time limits for filing a charge. So, contact an attorney or the EEOC right away if you are going to file a charge for employment discrimination.