All workers are entitled to certain protections under federal law, and federal employees have certain special protections of their own. If you are a federal employee, it is essential to understand how to apply these laws if you believe your rights have been violated.
If you are dealing with matters related to discrimination, wrongful death, sexual harassment, unpaid wages, mistreatment in the work environment and other matters that impact your right to just compensation and fair treatment, you need to act quickly when filing a claim.
Filing an EEOC complaint
At Colorado Employee Advocates, our law firm understands it can be difficult to take a stand against an employer or a work environment that subjects you to unfair treatment. While it can feel intimidating, our skilled attorneys know the importance of protecting your rights as an employee and taking timely action.
As a federal employee, you are entitled to protection under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act and numerous other laws. Thus, if you have experienced discrimination, mistreatment, harassment, unfair wages, wrongful termination or any other treatment that violates federal employment laws, you have the right to file a complaint with the EEOC.
The claims process
Federal employees have just 45 days to initiate a claim against their employer — a period that’s shorter than in the private sector. This is a short timeframe, making it important that employees are aware of this and get in touch with a legal professional to ensure your complaint is filed timely.
When it comes to required information, you need to include your personal information, job title, short description of the problem, the date the incident occurred, the type of incident that occurred as well as any information or documentation that supports your claim.
After filing your claim, your employer will receive a notice of the filing charge within 10 days. Investigation by the EEOC will begin and they will issue their finding. This could be a finding of cause, a finding of no cause or they could issue a right to sue letter if they did not file a lawsuit with the court on your behalf.
Depending on the finding, you may have certain questions or concerns regarding the damages you could seek, if an appeal is possible or how to proceed with the matter in court. A legal professional can help answer these and other questions you might have.