How Do I Bring a Discrimination or Harassment Claim?
Guide to Filing a Discrimination Claim Without a LawyerIf you choose not to hire a lawyer to help you at this stage, you can file a complaint yourself either with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ("MCAD") or the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC").
Remember, you only have 300 days (roughly 10 months) after the act of discrimination or harassment to begin your claim. In most cases, it is best to have the advice and assistance of experienced counsel so that you can put your best case forward, but if you are coming close to this deadline, or cannot find an attorney, you can file the initial complaint yourself. You can file a complaint with MCAD by phone or by mail. If you are not represented, you should consider filing by phone, as that will connect you with an intake person at MCAD who can help make sure you provide all of the required information. Click here for MCAD's instructions on how to file a complaint. Alternatively, you can file in the federal agency, the EEOC, instead. You can do this in person o r by mail. Click here for the EEOC's instructions on how to file a complaint. Most discrimination claims involve both federal and state laws, so you can file in either agency. Learn more here about bringing a discrimination complaint. |
We're Here to Help.OR
|
Questions About an Employment Discrimination Situation?
Our Solutions Roadmap is a quick and easy way to share the details of what you are facing and receive preliminary feedback from a member of our team. Use the button below to get started- it is 100% confidential and 100% free.
Meet Our Employment Lawyers
Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years before starting the firm that became slnlaw in 2009. She has been recognized as Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, been interviewed by the Massachusetts Superlawyers magazine about non compete agreements, and written an op-ed in the New York Times about the dangers of non competes. Along with the rest of the slnlaw team, she has helped hundreds of clients navigate, negotiate, or defend against their non compete agreements.
Rebecca Rogers: Rebecca is a 2006 graduate of Boston College Law School, and has worked with slnlaw since 2013. She previously worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney for Fish & Richardson in Boston, Massachusetts, and clerked for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Rebecca has helped many clients understand and evaluate their non compete agreements and develop strategies for defending against non compete enforcement and negotiating resolution.
Jenna Ordway: Jenna is a 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, and also earned an LLM in Taxation from Boston University in 2015. She has been affiliated with slnlaw since 2011, first as a law clerk and then as an attorney. Jenna has been recognized since 2019 as a "Rising Star" by Massachusetts Superlawyers. Jenna works with employers to develop reasonable and enforceable employee agreements, including non competes. She has also helped employees understand and evaluate their non compete agreements and develop strategies for defending against non compete enforcement and negotiating resolution.
Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped clients both evaluate and negotiate their non compete agreements, and defended non compete claims in state and federal courts.
How We Can Help
We have years of experience representing individuals and small businesses solve many different employment problems, large and small. You can use the button below to schedule a call back from a member of our team to learn more about working with us, or give us a call at 781-784-2322.