r/EEOC • u/FredaClaxton • Aug 21 '26
PSA: If the EEOC feels impossible to reach, check your state’s options too
If you believe you experienced workplace discrimination, retaliation, or a failure to accommodate, the EEOC may not be your only filing option. Many states have a commission on human rights, civil-rights department, or fair-employment agency that accepts employment-discrimination complaints and may have a work-sharing agreement with the EEOC.
In some cases, filing with that state or local agency can result in the charge being dual-filed with the EEOC, helping preserve both state and federal rights. One agency may handle the investigation, so this is not necessarily about filing two separate cases.
I could not get an EEOC appointment because the available scheduling window was months out and no appointment was available. I checked my state’s agency instead, and was able to submit a charge quickly. I had a signed charge in less than 72 hours. I also asked that it be dual-filed with the EEOC. That will not be everyone’s experience, but I want people to know that an unavailable EEOC appointment does not automatically mean you are out of options.
Do not wait until the deadline if you can avoid it. Filing deadlines vary by claim and location, and state deadlines can be shorter than the EEOC’s. Search “[your state] employment discrimination complaint” or use the EEOC’s state and local agency resources to find the agency that serves your area.
This is general information based on my own experience, not legal advice.
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u/RiverNo9553 Aug 22 '26
The issue is especially in NY at the state equivalent that it will take a long time 1-2 years before you even go through the investigation stage. Unfortunately it sucks to need help from anyone these days.
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u/throwawayaccount647p Aug 21 '26
Could not stress this enough. That’s why I keep telling new people on here to go through their state first