Before you can sue your employer for discrimination or harassment, you must first file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces laws prohibiting discrimination, or your state's fair employment practices agency. Once you have filed a charge and gone through the agency's process, you have only a short time in which to file a lawsuit.
The articles below describe these procedures and provide information on your rights -- including the right to work free of retaliation, if you bring a complaint. The EEOC reports that more charges allege retaliation than any type of discrimination; if you are mistreated, disciplined, or fired for complaining of discrimination or harassment, you may have a retaliation claim to add to your charge or lawsuit.
In the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Congress made punitive damages and damages for pain and suffering available in discrimination cases.
Disparate treatment cases allege that an employee was treated worse than others based on a protected characteristic.
Disparate impact lawsuits claim that an employer's facially neutral practice had a discriminatory effect.
Find out what type of money damages you can get in your employment discrimination case.
Learn how an employment lawyer can help you in your employment discrimination case.
Find out how a lawyer will evaluate your potential employment discrimination case.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws prohibiting workplace discrimination.
Learn the different types of fee arrangements in an employment discrimination case.
Before you can file a harassment or discrimination lawsuit against your employer, you have to bring your complaint to a state or federal agency.
Learn about workplace retaliation -- and what to do if it happens to you.
Learn how you may be compensated if you win a retaliation case against your employer.
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At Nolo, we prioritize quality and transparency because we know how important reliable legal information is to our readers. Our information is meticulously researched, regularly updated, and written in plain English by our experienced writers and editors. Learn more about our editorial standards.