California EEOC Attorney

Federal Discrimination Claims. Over 25 Years Representing California Employees.

Polaris Law Group is led by Attorney Bill Marder, who has more than 25 years of experience representing employees across the state. The firm handles discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, unpaid wages, and retaliation claims, including matters that require navigating the federal EEOC charge process before a lawsuit can be filed.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the federal agency responsible for enforcing workplace discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and related statutes. For many California employees, filing a charge with the EEOC is a required first step before pursuing a federal discrimination lawsuit.

Federal Laws the EEOC Enforces

The EEOC administers several federal statutes that protect employees from discrimination and retaliation in the workplace:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act: Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin at employers with 15 or more employees.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Protects employees and applicants with disabilities from discrimination and requires reasonable accommodation.
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA): Covers workers age 40 and older at employers with 20 or more employees.
• Equal Pay Act: Addresses sex-based wage discrimination and doesn’t require a prior EEOC charge before going to court, though separate filing deadlines apply.

Employees who file a charge, participate in an EEOC investigation, or otherwise engage in a protected activity also have separate protections against employer retaliation. A retaliation claim can be brought alongside or independently of an underlying discrimination charge.

EEOC Filing Deadlines for California Employees

In most states, an EEOC charge must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. Because California has a state agency enforcing equivalent anti-discrimination law, that window extends to 300 days for most claims, including age discrimination charges. Three hundred days is still less than a year, and the clock typically starts on the date of each discrete act rather than on the date an employee learns of it.

Ongoing harassment cases are treated differently: the filing deadline runs from the most recent incident in a continuing pattern, not from the first. For other violations, such as a termination or a single failure to promote, missing the 300-day mark for that specific act generally can forfeit the ability to challenge it. There is no fee to file a charge with the EEOC.

How the EEOC & California’s Civil Rights Department Work Together

The EEOC and California’s Civil Rights Department (CRD) maintain a work-sharing agreement. A charge filed with either agency is generally cross-filed with the other automatically, so employees don’t need to submit two separate complaints. The CRD enforces the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), which carries its own advantages: a three-year filing window from the date of the violation, coverage of employers with five or more employees (and all employers for harassment claims), and no statutory cap on compensatory and punitive damages, unlike the caps that apply under Title VII based on employer size.

For most California employees, the EEOC charge remains the gateway to federal court. The dual-filing agreement makes it practical to preserve both avenues at once.

What Happens After an EEOC Charge Is Filed

The process begins with an inquiry submitted through the EEOC Public Portal, the agency’s online intake system. An intake interview may follow, after which a formal charge is filed. The EEOC then notifies the employer and decides whether to investigate, offer mediation, or pursue conciliation to resolve the dispute without litigation.

When the EEOC closes a charge without full resolution, it issues a Notice of Right to Sue. That notice starts a 90-day deadline to file a federal lawsuit, and courts enforce it strictly. Completing the charge process before filing in federal court, known as administrative exhaustion, is a prerequisite for most EEOC-covered claims. The EEOC maintains offices in Oakland, San Diego, San Jose, and Fresno, where charges can be filed or intake interviews scheduled.

Why California Employees Bring EEOC Matters to Polaris Law Group

Attorney Bill Marder has more than 25 years of experience handling California employment law matters and has recovered millions of dollars for clients in wrongful termination and unpaid wage cases. Polaris Law Group takes on complex, multi-issue employment matters, including cases that other firms decline. When the facts are complicated or the claims span multiple federal statutes, that willingness to engage with difficult cases matters.

The firm’s intake process is built around the reality that employment law deadlines don’t wait. After an initial consultation, Attorney Marder can move quickly toward filing, often within days, rather than requiring a series of preliminary meetings. For employees facing a 300-day EEOC charge deadline or a 90-day right-to-sue window, that pace is a practical advantage.

Free Consultation for California Employees

Polaris Law Group offers free initial consultations to evaluate EEOC and workplace discrimination matters. The firm represents clients on a contingency-fee basis, advancing legal costs so employees can pursue their claims without paying upfront. No fee is charged unless the case results in a recovery.