Vocations · Professional Development

Write it down,
then watch the clock.

Harassment tied to sex, race, religion, age, disability or another protected trait is against federal law, and so is punishing someone for complaining. Keep a dated record, report it under the policy, and see how long you have to file a charge.

Start a recordWhat you get

Your records

The worked example is made up: comments from a shift supervisor followed by lost hours, told to a manager with nothing in writing. Saved on this device only, so it stays private to you.

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What you get

Vocations · Professional DevelopmentFree

What you finish with
A record per incident or pattern: when and where, what was said or done, the other person’s role, witnesses, the protected trait it may relate to, the effect on work, each report with its date and response, and six steps. Counts days since it happened and the days left to the 180 and 300 day EEOC deadlines; flags a close deadline, no report, a manager-only report, retaliation and conduct outside the federal traits.
Who it is for
Workers, interns and student employees dealing with harassment at work, and the people helping them think it through.
Format
Browser record with a saved entry per incident. Prints a dated record to bring to human resources, an agency or a lawyer, every record in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file. Kept private on your device.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Professional Development space in Caveat Vocations.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Write what happened as soon as you can.
  2. Use roles, not names, if you share the printout.
  3. Read the policy and report the way it says, in writing.
  4. Log every report and every change at work.
  5. Note the deadline and contact the EEOC or state agency in time.

Start a record

How reporting usually goes

From incident to charge1Write it downDates, words, witnesses, whatchanged at work2Report under the policyIn writing to whoever thepolicy names3Give it a fair chanceAsk what will happen and when;keep the reply4Contact the EEOC or state agencyAn intake interview, online orby phone5File a charge in time180 days, or 300 where a stateor local agency enforces a6Right to sueAfter the agency, a lawsuithas its own short deadlineFrom incident to charge1Write it downDates, words, witnesses, what changed atwork2Report under the policyIn writing to whoever the policy names3Give it a fair chanceAsk what will happen and when; keep thereply4Contact the EEOC or state agencyAn intake interview, online or by phone5File a charge in time180 days, or 300 where a state or localagency enforces a similar law6Right to sueAfter the agency, a lawsuit has its ownshort deadline
Federal employees and some others follow different rules, such as contacting an agency EEO counselor within 45 days. The EEOC’s public portal starts an inquiry.

What the law covers

Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act make harassment unlawful when it is tied to a protected trait and is severe or pervasive enough to change working conditions, or when it leads to a firing, demotion or lost pay. Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees; the age law, 20 or more. State laws often reach smaller employers.

Safety and support

If you are in danger, call 911. An employee assistance program, if your job has one, offers free confidential counseling. Many employment lawyers will talk through a case once at no cost, and some work on contingency.

Sources

  1. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Harassment, Retaliation and Time Limits for Filing a Charge (eeoc.gov).
  2. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2024). Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.
  3. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e; 29 CFR 1614.105 (federal sector 45-day contact).
  4. U.S. Department of Labor. Employee rights overviews (dol.gov).

The worked examples are made up. This page records facts and counts days; it is not legal advice, and deadlines can depend on your state, your employer and the facts. Check with the EEOC, your state agency or an employment lawyer. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.