Sources & citations

Charge must be filed within 180 days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred; OR within 300 days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred (or within 30 days after receiving notice that the State or local agency has terminated the proceedings) where the person aggrieved has initially instituted proceedings with a State or local agency with authority to grant or seek relief.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000e-5

Powers, remedies, and procedures of §2000e-5 (including the 180/300-day filing deadline) apply to ADA Title I employment discrimination charges.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/12117

ADEA charge must be filed within 180 days after the alleged unlawful practice; extended to 300 days in States with their own age-discrimination law and a State agency to enforce it. Local-only age-discrimination laws do NOT trigger the extension (per EEOC time-limits page).

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/626

EPA does NOT require an EEOC charge to file in court. Statute of limitations: 2 years (or 3 years for willful violations) from each underpaid paycheck. Filing an EEOC charge is optional, not a prerequisite.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/206

Powers, remedies, and procedures of §2000e-5 (180/300-day filing deadline) apply to GINA Title II employment charges.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/2000ff-6

Independent civil rights statute covering race claims, 4-year statute of limitations from each discriminatory act per Jones v. R.R. Donnelley, 541 U.S. 369 (2004). Does NOT cover sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, or genetic information.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1981

Codifies dual-filing mechanics. In a jurisdiction where a designated 706 agency has authority to grant or seek relief on the same basis, filing is timely if effected within 300 days from the alleged violation. Section 706(c) of Title VII grants States and political subdivisions exclusive right to process for 60 days (120 days during the first year of a qualifying State/local law). Worksharing agreements under § 1601.13(c) allow the FEPA to waive the 60/120-day exclusive period so the EEOC can take immediate action and the charging party retains the full 300 days.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1601.13

Enumerates every State, local, and tribal agency the EEOC has designated as a 706 agency. The presence of an agency on this list, in conjunction with a same-basis State/local law, is what triggers the 300-day deadline under §2000e-5(e)(1) and §1601.13. States not on this list, or covered only by limited-jurisdiction agencies (e.g., state-employees-only), are 180-day jurisdictions for that uncovered basis.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1601.74

Aggrieved federal employee or applicant must initiate contact with an agency EEO Counselor within 45 days of the matter alleged to be discriminatory (or, in the case of personnel action, within 45 days of the effective date). Standard counseling period: 30 days from contact to final interview, extendable by 60-day mutual written agreement, or up to 90 days if ADR is elected. Extensions of the 45-day window available where the aggrieved person was unaware of time limits, lacked knowledge of the discriminatory matter, was prevented by circumstances beyond their control, or for other reasons sufficient to the agency/Commission.

Primary URL: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/1614.105

Continuing-violation doctrine for Title VII. Each 'discrete' discriminatory act (e.g., termination, denial of promotion, denial of transfer) starts its own 180/300-day clock and is time-barred if not filed within that window. By contrast, hostile-work-environment claims are timely so long as ANY act contributing to the hostile environment falls within the filing window — even if the bulk of the conduct occurred outside it.

Primary URL: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/536/101/

Statutorily abrogates Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007). Each issuance of a discriminatory paycheck constitutes a fresh 'unlawful employment practice' that re-starts the 180/300-day clock. Applies retroactively to Title VII compensation discrimination claims pending or filed on/after May 28, 2007.

Primary URL: https://www.congress.gov/111/plaws/publ2/PLAW-111publ2.pdf