[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 4]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1603.102]

[Page 175-176]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
                               COMMISSION
 
                    Subpart A--Administrative Process
 
Sec. 1603.102  Filing a complaint.

    (a) Who may make a complaint. Individuals referred to in 
Sec. 1603.101 who believe they have been discriminated against on the 
basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or disability 
or retaliated against for opposing any practice made unlawful by federal 
laws protecting equal employment opportunity or for participating in any 
stage of administrative or judicial proceedings under federal laws 
protecting equal employment opportunity may file a complaint not later 
than 180 days after the occurrence of the alleged discrimination.
    (b) Where to file a complaint. A complaint may be filed in person or 
by mail or by facsimile machine to the offices of the Commission in 
Washington, D.C., or any of its field offices or with any designated 
agent or representative of the Commission. The addresses of the 
Commission's field offices appear in 29 CFR 1610.4.
    (c) Contents of a complaint. A complaint shall be in writing, signed 
and verified. In addition, each complaint should contain the following:
    (1) The full name, address and telephone number of the person making 
the complaint;
    (2) The full name and address of the person, governmental entity or 
political subdivision against whom the complaint is made (hereinafter 
referred to as the respondent);
    (3) A clear and concise statement of the facts, including pertinent 
dates, constituting the alleged unlawful employment practices (See 29 
CFR 1601.15(b)); and
    (4) A statement disclosing whether proceedings involving the alleged 
unlawful employment practice have been commenced before a State or local 
FEP agency charged with the enforcement of fair employment practice laws 
and, if so, the date of such commencement and the name of the agency.
    (d) Amendment of a complaint. Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this 
section, a complaint is sufficient when the Commission receives from the 
person making the complaint a written statement sufficiently precise to 
identify the parties and to describe generally the alleged 
discriminatory action or practices. A complaint may be amended to cure 
technical defects or omissions, including failure to verify the 
complaint, or to clarify and amplify its allegations. Such amendments, 
and amendments alleging additional acts that constitute discriminatory 
employment practices related to or growing out of the subject matter of 
the original complaint, will relate back to the date the complaint was 
first received. A complaint that has been amended after it was referred 
shall not be again referred to the appropriate state or local fair 
employment practices agency.

[[Page 176]]

    (e) Misfiled complaint. A charge filed pursuant to 29 CFR part 1601 
or part 1626, that is later deemed to be a matter under this part, shall 
be processed as a complaint under this part and shall relate back to the 
date of the initial charge or complaint. A complaint filed under this 
part that is later deemed to be a matter under 29 CFR part 1601 or part 
1626 shall be processed as a charge under the appropriate regulation and 
shall relate back to the date of the initial complaint.