Workplace discrimination claims under federal law generally cannot begin in court. An administrative step comes first, and missing it can end a claim before it starts.
The administrative step is a precondition
For most federal employment discrimination statutes, a worker must file a charge with the federal enforcement agency, or a state or local counterpart, before filing suit.
The requirement exists to allow investigation and possible resolution without litigation, and it also produces a record of the allegation at a specific date.
Because it is a precondition rather than an option, a worker who goes directly to court usually finds the case dismissed on procedural grounds regardless of its merits.
Deadlines are short and vary
The window to file is measured in months from the discriminatory act, and it differs depending on whether a state or local agency with a work-sharing arrangement exists.
State law claims have their own separate deadlines, which may be longer or shorter, and running one clock does not pause another.
These periods change through legislation and interpretation, so the safe approach is to treat the deadline as immediate and to confirm the applicable one promptly.
What filing actually starts
A charge is a written statement of what happened, who was involved and why the worker believes it was unlawful. The agency notifies the employer and may investigate or offer mediation.
Outcomes vary: resolution, a finding, or a notice permitting the worker to proceed to court within a further limited window, which starts its own short clock.
Retaliation is a separate claim
Adverse action because a worker filed a charge or participated in an investigation is independently prohibited, and retaliation claims are frequently stronger than the underlying allegation.
That is one reason contemporaneous documentation matters, since the sequence and timing of events is often the central evidence in such a claim.
This is general description, not advice
Coverage depends on employer size, employment status and which statute applies, and states add their own protections that may cover workers federal law does not.
An employment attorney is the appropriate professional, and many offer initial consultations, while legal aid organizations and state civil rights agencies provide free information about process.
Speaking to one early is useful even when a worker is undecided, because the decision to wait is itself constrained by deadlines she may not know are running.