Sample Discrimination Complaint Letter to the EEOC

A sample discrimination complaint letter to the EEOC needs seven things: your contact information, your employer’s contact information, the approximate number of employees at that workplace, a factual description of what happened, the dates it happened, the protected characteristic you believe motivated the treatment, and your signature.¹ Under most federal employment laws you must file this Charge of Discrimination with the EEOC before you can sue your employer in court; the Equal Pay Act is the only exception.² The template below covers each required field, and the notes that follow explain how to adapt it to your situation.

What the Letter Has to Contain

The EEOC accepts charges by letter, and it publishes a list of what the letter must include. Miss any of these and the agency will contact you for more information, slowing the case:¹

Your full name, mailing address, email, and telephone number.
The name, address, email, and telephone number of the employer, employment agency, or union you are filing against.
The approximate number of people employed there, if you know it. This helps the EEOC decide whether the employer is covered by federal law.
A short, factual account of what you believe was discriminatory — being fired, demoted, passed over for promotion, harassed, or something else.
The dates the actions took place. These determine whether your charge is timely.
The reason you believe the actions were discriminatory: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, or retaliation for prior protected activity.
Your signature. The EEOC cannot investigate an unsigned letter.

Keep it factual. You do not need legal jargon or statute citations. What matters is what happened, when it happened, and the link between your employer’s action and your protected characteristic.

Sample Letter

The following sample is built around the EEOC’s required fields.¹ Replace the bracketed fields with your own details and adjust the description to fit your situation.

[Your Full Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Your Email Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Today’s Date]

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
[Address of Your Nearest EEOC Field Office]

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to file a Charge of Discrimination against my employer:

[Employer Name]
[Employer Street Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Employer Phone Number]
[Employer Email, if known]
Approximate number of employees: [Number]

I believe I was discriminated against because of my [protected characteristic, e.g., race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion]. The discriminatory action(s) took place on [date(s)].

On [date], I was terminated from my position as [Job Title] at [Employer Name]. I had worked in this role since [start date] and consistently received positive performance reviews, including a “meets expectations” or higher rating in my most recent evaluation on [date]. On [date], my supervisor, [Supervisor Name], informed me that my position was being eliminated. However, I learned that a younger coworker, [name or description], who held the same title and had less seniority, was retained. I am [age], and I believe my termination was motivated by my age rather than any legitimate business reason.

Prior to my termination, [Supervisor Name] made several comments about my age, including [describe specific comments and approximate dates]. I reported these comments to Human Resources on [date] but received no response.

I believe this constitutes discrimination based on my age in violation of federal law. I request that the EEOC investigate this matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Handwritten Signature]
[Your Printed Name]

The example uses age discrimination, but the structure works for any protected characteristic. If your complaint involves race, disability, religion, sex, national origin, or genetic information, swap in the relevant facts and describe the connection between your characteristic and the employer’s action. The core of an effective letter is always the same: concrete facts, specific dates, and a clear explanation of why the treatment was discriminatory rather than routine.

How to Make the Letter Stronger

The strength of your charge depends largely on how clearly you lay out the facts.

Be specific about dates and names. “In early 2025” is weaker than “on March 12, 2025.” Vague timelines make it harder for the EEOC to establish that your charge is timely and harder for investigators to track down witnesses and records.

Describe the comparator. If you believe you were treated differently from a coworker outside your protected class, say so explicitly. Identifying who was treated more favorably, and how, is often the strongest evidence of discrimination.

Include documentation you already have. Attach copies of performance reviews, emails, termination letters, or written complaints to HR. You do not need to build a legal case at this stage, but supporting documents help the EEOC assess the charge quickly.

Do not exaggerate or speculate. Stick to what you personally witnessed or experienced. If someone told you something relevant, note who said it, what they said, and when. The investigator will follow up on leads; your job is to give them a reliable starting point.

Keep a copy of everything you send, including the signed letter and any attachments. If you file by mail, consider using certified mail with return receipt so you have proof of the date the EEOC received your charge.

Deadlines That Decide Whether the Letter Is Worth Sending

Before you draft anything, check the calendar. You generally must file your charge within 180 calendar days from the date the discrimination happened. That deadline extends to 300 calendar days if your state or local government has its own agency enforcing anti-discrimination laws covering the same conduct.³ Most states have one, so the 300-day deadline applies to most filers. Once the deadline passes, you lose the right to pursue the claim.

Federal employees follow a completely different timeline. You must contact an EEO Counselor at your agency within 45 days of the discriminatory incident.⁴ Missing that window can bar you from filing a formal complaint entirely, though the agency may extend it if you can show you were not aware of the deadline or were prevented from meeting it by circumstances beyond your control.

Whether your employer is even covered matters too. For most claims, including those based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and genetic information, the employer must have at least 15 employees.⁵ For age discrimination under the ADEA, the threshold is 20 employees.⁶ If your employer falls below these numbers, federal law may not apply, but your state may have its own statute with a lower threshold. Many states cover employers with as few as one employee.

How to Send the Letter

You have several ways to get the charge to the EEOC:¹

Online through the EEOC Public Portal. You submit an inquiry, schedule an interview with an EEOC staff member, and after the interview the EEOC drafts the formal charge from what you provided. You review it, request changes if needed, and sign electronically.
By mail. Send a signed letter, like the sample above, to your nearest EEOC field office. The EEOC will review it and contact you if it needs more information.
In person at any of the EEOC’s 53 field offices. You can find the nearest one at eeoc.gov.
By phone to start the process. The EEOC does not take charges over the phone, but 1-800-669-4000 will connect you with someone who can discuss your situation and explain next steps.

If your state has a Fair Employment Practices Agency, filing with either the EEOC or the state agency automatically cross-files with the other. You do not need to submit separate complaints.¹

Whichever route you take, the charge is not officially filed until it is signed. A letter without a signature will not move forward, no matter how strong the facts.

1
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination
2
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Filing A Charge of Discrimination
3
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Time Limits For Filing A Charge
4
eCFR. 29 CFR 1614.105 – Pre-Complaint Processing
5
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
6
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Fact Sheet – Age Discrimination