Employees & Job Applicants

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect you against employment discrimination when it 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,  disability, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
• Retaliation because you complained about job discrimination, or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against at work, you can file a "Charge of Discrimination." All of the laws enforced by EEOC, except for the Equal Pay Act, require you to file a Charge of Discrimination with us before you can file a job discrimination lawsuit against your employer. In addition, an individual, organization, or agency may file a charge on behalf of another person in order to protect the aggrieved person's identity.

Note: Federal employees and job applicants have similar protections, but a different complaint process.

Not all employers are covered by the laws we enforce, and not all employees are protected. This can vary depending on the type of employer, the number of employees it has, and the type of discrimination alleged. Also, there are strict time limits for filing a charge that you should be aware of. Because of this, we strongly urge you to read the following information to help determine your rights and what action you need to take.

• Coverage
  Is your employer covered? Are you protected?

  Timeliness
  How long do you have to file a charge?

  Filing a Charge 

• How to file, EEOC's charge handling process, remedies, etc.

• Discrimination by Type

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Equal Pay and Compensation
  • Genetic Information
  • National Origin
  • Pregnancy
  • Race/Color
  • Religion
  • Retaliation
  • Sex
  • Sexual Harassment
  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

  Prohibited Practices
  What can't an employer do?