Filing charges and lawsuits

• Author: Cathy Ventrell-Monsees
• Pages: 95-176

FILING CHARGES

AND LAWSUITS

3-1

CHAPTER 3

FILING CHARGES AND LAWSUITS

I. ADMINISTRATIVE PREREQUISITES

A. STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

§3:10 Charge Filing Required

§3:20 Adherence to Deadlines

B. CHARGE-FILING DEADLINES

§3:30 Background

§3:40 Determining Proper Deadline

§3:40.10 300-Day States

§3:40.10.10 Filing With FEP State or Local Agency

§3:40.10.20 Filing With EEOC

§3:40.20 180-Day States

§3:50 Actual Date of Charge Filing

§3:50.10 Tips for Attorney-Drafted Charges

C. STARTING POINT OF FILING PERIOD

§3:60 Date Unlawful Employment Practice Occurred

§3:60.10 Notice of Act or Discrimination

§3:60.10.10 Accrual Date

§3:60.10.20 Discovery Rule

§3:60.20 Unequivocal Notice

§3:60.30 Other Facts Triggering Filing Period

§3:60.40 Constructive Discharge Claims

§3:60.50 Pay or Compensation Claims

§3:60.60 Promotion Claims

§3:70 Discriminator y Policies, Seniority Systems, and Benef‌it Plans

§3:70.10 Facially Discriminatory Policies and Plans

§3:70.20 Neutral Policies and Plans

§3:70.30 Older Workers Benef‌it Protection Act

§3:80 [Reserved]

§3:90 Harassment, Systemic, or Pattern and Practice Claims

§3:90.10 Consequences of Time-Barred Discriminatory Acts

FILING CHARGES

AND LAWSUITS

AGE DISCRIMINATION LITIGATION 32

D. ACTIONS AFTER CLOCK STARTS

§3:100 Clock Stops

§3:100.10 Equitable Tolling vs. Equitable Estoppel

§3:100.20 Equitable Tolling

§3:100.30 Equitable Estoppel

§3:100.30.10 Employer’s Failure to Post ADEA §8 Notice

§3:100.30.20 Employer Misconduct/Misrepresentations

E. FORM AND CONTENTS OF CHARGE

§3:110 Overview

§3:120 Form of the “Charge” — Oral Communication, Letter, Intake Questionnaire or EEOC Form 5

§3:120.10 Intake Questionnaire

§3:120.20 EEOC Online System & New Inquiry Form Replace Holowecki Intake Questionnaire

§3:130 Content

§3:130.10 Identify Age and Allege Facts Related to Age Discrimination

§3:130.20 Name the Correct Employer

§3:130.30 Attorney-Drafted Charges

§3:130.40 Charge Liberally Construed

§3:140 Scope and Reasonably Related Claims

F. FILING THE CHARGE

§3:150 Who Can File

§3:150.10 Single Filing Rule

§3:150.20 Calculating Filing Period of Claims Covered by Single Filing Rule

II. DEALING EFFECTIVELY WITH THE EEOC

A. CHARGE PRIORITIZATION SYSTEM OF THE EEOC

§3:160 Overview

§3:170 Category A: Enforcement Plan/Potential Cause Charges

§3:180 Category B: Charges Requiring Additional Information

§3:190 Category C: Charges Suitable for Dismissal

B. EEOC ENFORCEMENT PLANS

§3:200 Overview

§3:210 EEOC’s Strategic Enforcement Plan

§3:220 [Reserved]

C. INTERACTING WITH THE EEOC

§3:230 EEOC Counseling

§3:240 Communicating With the EEOC

§3:240.10 EEOC’s Public Portal for Charges

D. CHARGE DETERMINATIONS BY THE EEOC

§3:250 Dismissals and Notices of Right to Sue

§3:260 Cause Determinations

§3:270 Attempts to Settle Charge

FILING CHARGES

AND LAWSUITS

33 FILING CHARGES AND LAWSUITS

E. PREREQUISITES TO FILING LAWSUIT

§3:280 Steps Prior to Filing

§3:290 60-Day Rule — Early Filing of Lawsuit

§3:290.10 No “Right-to-Sue” Let ter Needed to File Suit

§3:290.20 Administrative Exhaustion Is Not a Jurisdictional Prerequisite to Suit

§3:300 Simultaneous Filing

§3:310 60 Days From Last Filing

§3:320 60 Days for EEOC Conciliation

§3:330 90-Day Rule for Filing Suit

§3:340 Determinations by State FEP Agency

§3:350 EEOC Investigation and Litigation: Absent a Charge

§3:360 EEOC Litigation Precludes Private Suits

F. CHECKLISTS

§3:370 Charge-Filing Checklist

§3:380 Date and Deadline Checklist

G. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

§3:390 Federal Employee Complaint Procedures

§3:390.10 First Step: Contact Federal EEO Counselor

§3:390.20 Mandatory “EEO Counseling”

§3:390.30 “Voluntary” Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)

§3:390.40 Filing a Complaint

§3:390.50 Dismissal of Complaint

§3:390.60 How Investigations Are Handled

§3:390.70 Method of Investigation

§3:390.80 Conduct of Administrative Hearings

§3:390.90 Contents of the Complaint File

§3:390.100 Final Decision by the Agency

§3:390.110 Appeal of Final Agency Decision to the Off‌ice of Federal Operations

§3:390.120 Filing an “Appeal” as a Lawsuit in Federal Court

§3:390.130 Federal Employee Class Actions

§3:390.140 Grievances as Civil Rights Actions

§3:390.150 Mixed Case Complaints

III. FILING AN ADEA LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT

§3:400 Jurisdictional Prerequisites

§3:410 Venue, Jurisdiction

§3:420 Parties

§3:430 Factual Allegations

§3:440 Damages

IV. FORMS

Preliminary Matters

Form 010 EEOC Form 5 [blank]

Form 011 EEOC Form 5A [blank]

Form 012 Charge of Discrimination [EEOC Form 5 – Completed sample]

Form 013 Charge of Discrimination [EEOC Form 5 – Completed sample, with Declaration]