Time Constraints for Filing Complaints

An employee has a limited window of time in which to file a claim. In general, the time limit begins from the date the harassment occurred. If the harassment was ongoing, it is typically measured from the last violation.

If an employee wants to file a sexual harassment lawsuit, he or she has three years from the alleged incident to file a claim with the DFEH and 180 days from the incident to file with the EEOC.

If the employee already filed with DFEH, then he or she has 300 days to file with the EEOC. (Or 30 days from when the DFEH ends its investigation, whichever comes first.) If the employee is unhappy with the findings and would like to file with the EEOC, he or she has 30 days to do so.

To learn more about Sexual Harassment Prevention Training For Supervisors visit our Cal/OSHA Sexual Harassment Prevention Training For Supervisors Online Training web page.