Agency Charge Investigation

Any person who feels that an employer violated his/her employment rights may file a discrimination charge with the EEOC. An employee has 180 days from the date of the alleged violation to file a charge. The 180-day deadline is extended to 300 days if state or local discrimination laws also cover the alleged violation. Except for Equal Pay Act claims, an employee must first file with the EEOC before filing a lawsuit in federal court. A charge can be dual filed with the EEOC and a state agency, also known as a Fair Employment Practice Agency. The employer is required to file with the agency a response to the charge allegations, commonly known as a Position Statement. The employer should commission a thorough investigation by trained experts before providing a Position Statement. Bashen conducts agency investigations and prepares cogent and persuasive Position Statements that are intended to terminate the administrative charge process.

Bashen’s agency process includes:

• An Investigation Plan
• Identifying all critical issues of the charge
• Analyzing the merits of a charge
• Reviewing potential jurisdictional arguments
• Identifying and interviewing witnesses
• Conducting on and off-site interviews
• Gathering and reviewing documentary evidence and/or comparative evidence
• Responding to agency requests for information
• Participating in agency on-site investigations
• Attending all fact-finding proceedings, administrative hearings and mediations
• Fact-Finding Report
• Position Statement
• Managing response times effectively
• Consulting the employer during all phases of a charge