Project Description
EEOC Philadelphia
The EEOC Philadelphia District Office enforces the employment discrimination laws administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding area. These laws prohibit an employer from discriminating against an employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, pregnancy, age, disability, and genetic information. The Philadelphia District Office executes these laws throughout the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and specific counties of Maryland, Ohio, and New Jersey.
If you have an employment discrimination complaint, please contact us. We are ready to advocate your rights under these laws.
What Does The Philadelphia EEOC Do For Me?
If you have experienced employment discrimination in the Philadelphia area, related to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, pregnancy, age, disability, or genetic information, you must first file a discrimination complaint with the Philadelphia EEOC District Office, before filing suit in court. You may file a complaint in person, or you can retain our firm to guide you through the process, and file it on your behalf.
What is the EEOC and what does it do?
EEOC Philadelphia District Office Jurisdictional Area
The EEOC has granted the Philadelphia District Office jurisdiction over the states of Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and specific counties of New Jersey, Maryland, and Ohio.
State of New Jersey Counties
- Atlantic
- Burlington
- Camden
- Cape May
- Cumberland
- Gloucester
- Ocean
- Salem
State of Maryland Counties
- Allegany
- Anne Arundel
- Baltimore
- Baltimore City
- Caroline
- Carroll
- Cecil
- Dorchester
- Frederick
- Garrett
- Harford
- Howard
- Kent
- Queen Anne’s
- Somerset
- Talbot
- Washington
- Wicomico
- Worcester
State of Ohio Counties
- Ashland
- Ashtabula
- Athens
- Belmont
- Carroll
- Columbiana
- Coshocton
- Crawford
- Cuyahoga
- Delaware
- Erie
- Fairfield
- Franklin
- Geauga
- Guernsey
- Harrison
- Hocking
- Holmes
- Huron
- Jefferson
- Knox
- Lake
- Licking
- Lorain
- Mahoning
- Marion
- Medina
- Meigs
- Monroe
- Morgan
- Morrow
- Muskingum
- Noble
- Perry
- Portage
- Richland
- Stark
- Summit
- Trumbull
- Tuscarawas
- Vinton
- Washington
- Wayne
Filing A Complaint In The EEOC Philadelphia District Office
Technically, you can file a complaint in person at any time during office hours. However, call ahead to ensure availability to meet with a representative, if you’re traveling a long distance. The Philadelphia office welcomes walk-ins from 8:30 to 3:30, Monday through Friday.
Whether or not your circumstances are covered by the EEOC, a representative at the Philadelphia EEOC office will help you navigate the next steps in handling your situation.
If you’re unable to file in-person, you may mail your intake questionnaire to the office.
When Should I File A Complaint?
The goal of EEOC is to protect the equal employment rights of employees. If you’ve experienced employment discrimination, investigate your options immediately. Contact an employment lawyer who will recognize what constitutes discrimination under the law and what your next steps should be.
In Pennsylvania, you have 300 days from the discriminatory event, to file an EEOC complaint, alleging federal discrimination claims. However, in order to preserve your rights to file state discrimination claims under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), you must file your EEOC complaint within 180 days of the discriminatory event. At that same time, indicate you wish to dual file your complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC).
For Companies With A Certain Number of Employees
15+ Employees:
Pennsylvania and West Virginia lengthen the amount of time in which a complaint may be filed in cases of discrimination based on race, color, orientation, sex, religion, or disability to 300 days.
20+ Employees:
For age discrimination, Pennsylvania and West Virginia offer filing a complaint within 300 days of the incident.
Less than 20 or 15 Employees:
Pennsylvania state law differs from West Virginia state law by offering 180 days to file for age discrimination (less than 20 employees) and for other types of employment discrimination (less than 15 employees) rather than West Virginia’s limit of 365 days.
Four Ways To Prepare For Filing A Complaint
1. Research what types of situations the EEOC covers, and check the EEOC deadlines.
2. Clear your schedule for several hours. An in-office visit may require two hours of availability.
3. Prepare to answer questions, and provide evidence for your complaint, during the interview with an EEOC representative.
4. Arrive with the relevant details, including:
- Name, address, and telephone number
- Your [former] employer’s name, address, and phone number, and approximate amount of employees
- Synopsis of the discrimination
- A chronology of events of the discrimination, including dates
- Evidence of discrimination (including documents, personal notes, etc.)
- Witness information
Click here to find out what happens after you file an EEOC complaint.
If you as an employee have experienced employment discrimination, contact an employment lawyer, who will know how to navigate your case under the law. Don’t hesitate, talk to an employment attorney: 215-618-9185 or lawyer@lawkm.com
Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC “KM&A” is a law firm serving all of Pennsylvania with our principal offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Call KM&A in western Pennsylvania at 412-626-5626 or in eastern Pennsylvania at 215-618-9185. KM&A can be reached by email at lawyer@lawkm.com.
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