The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, age (over 40), disability or genetic information. The EEOC is also responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. At Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald, & Pirrotti, P.C., we represent employees in EEOC cases in Connecticut and across the country. Our Connecticut EEOC lawyers have been fighting for the rights of employees for decades and will provide representation in all types of EEOC proceedings, such as administrative hearings, investigations, and judicial appeals.
Important Information About the EEOC
The EEOC is a federal agency, created by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For more information on the laws the EEOC enforces, please click below:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Pregnancy Discrimination Act
- The Equal Pay Act
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
To file a complaint with the EEOC, strongly consider the assistance of an employment attorney. There are strict deadlines you must adhere to. If you miss them, you may not recover or proceed with further legal action against your employer.
Filing a claim with the EEOC is a prerequisite to suing for employment discrimination or certain forms of retaliation in federal court. Employees do not have immediate access to the courts. Instead, you must exhaust administrative remedies by first filing in the EEOC.
Do this rather quickly. The EEOC requires that any employment discrimination claim must be filed within 300 days after the alleged act of discrimination, or 300 days after you learned of the event.
How Does the Claim Process Work?
To file this claim, you or your attorney must file the charge of discrimination at a local EEOC office. You can discover which location is nearest to you here. The Connecticut EEOC lawyers at Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald, & Pirrotti, P.C. can also assist you throughout the claims process.
After the claim is filed, the EEOC will investigate the incident and notify the employer of the charges against them. The EEOC may determine that discrimination is found, no discrimination is found, or they do not have enough information to render a decision. Depending on the findings, the following actions can take place:
- Conciliation;
- Notice of Right to Sue, allowing employee to file a lawsuit in federal court;
- Closing the case and notifying the employee who filed the charge.
If it is found that no discriminatory act(s) occurred, the charges will be dismissed. You are not out of options if the EEOC finds that no discriminatory act(s) occurred. Call us to discuss next steps quickly.
An employee must have a Notice of Right to Sue from the EEOC before they can file a lawsuit for most claims in federal court. Generally, you must allow the EEOC 180 days to resolve your claims. There are some circumstances though, where the EEOC may agree to issue a Notice of Right to Sue before the 180 days.
Mediation is also a possibility through the EEOC. Once a discrimination charge is filed, the EEOC can refer parties to mediation if they agree to it. This process might help parties avoid the cost and delay of a grueling investigation process. If the mediation is unsuccessful, the discrimination charge proceeds as it normally would have.
Let Our Employment Attorneys Help with Your EEOC Claim – Connecticut EEOC Lawyers
At Garrison, Levin-Epstein, Fitzgerald, & Pirrotti, P.C., we can deliver the experience and the expertise that employees need for their toughest fights; especially those who are interested in filing employment discrimination claims with the EEOC. If you need legal guidance or representation in Connecticut, contact our employment lawyers for a consultation.
