To file an EEOC claim in Florida, you have two location options. The Miami District Office is one option, while the Tampa Bay Field Office represents the second filing option.
However, COVID-19 has forced the EEOC to close all of its offices across the United States. This means you have to schedule a phone interview to interact with a representative from the EEOC.
When the EEOC reinstates in-person visits, the office you should visit is the office closest to the location of your employer.
The EEOC makes scheduling a phone interview easy through their website. Register to gain access to the site, and then follow the directions listed to get you scheduled for a telephone interview.
If you are close to the deadline established for contacting the EEOC, call 1-800-669-4000 to schedule a phone interview with a representative from the federal agency.
What Does the EEOC Do?
As part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees. Some of the criteria that Title VII covers include age, gender, and national origin.
Title VII gave the federal government the legal power to create an agency that enforces all discrimination laws. The result is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that enforces every statute written into the historic civil rights law. Employers with 15 or more employees must follow the legal guidelines established by the EEOC.
How many days do you have to contact the EEOF office in Florida? You have 180 calendar days to contact the Miami or Tampa Bay EEOC office. The clock starts ticking for the deadline on the day when the discriminatory acts occurred.
If Florida discrimination statutes cover the same protected groups as the federal version of discrimination statutes, then you have 300 calendar days to contact a Florida EEOC office.
EEOC Office in Florida
Miami District Office
- 100 SE 2nd Street, Suite 1500
- Miami, FL 33131
- Office Hours: M-F 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
- Phone: (305) 808-1740
- Director: Bradley Anderson, Acting
- Regional Attorney: Robert E. Weisberg
Tampa Field Office
- 501 East Polk Street, Suite 1000
- Tampa, FL 33602
- Office Hours: Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
- Phone: (800) 669-4000
- Director: Evangeline Hawthorne
- Regional Attorney: Robert Weisburg
Florida Employment Laws
According to the Florida Civil Human Rights Act, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate based on the following:
- Age
- Race
- Color
- Sex
- Religion
- Handicap
- Marital status
- National Origin
Florida workers can file a discrimination claim with the Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), as well as the EEOC.
The two agencies have developed a work-sharing agreement that means the agencies cooperate with each other to process and enforce discrimination claims. The most important work-sharing arrangement is the exchange of evidence.
The Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits employment practices that discriminate based on sex, pregnancy, and marital status. State law considers sexual harassment to be a form of illegal sex discrimination.
Next Steps to Take
Although the EEOC discrimination claim form is not complicated to fill out, collecting and organizing the evidence involved with a discrimination case can be difficult to do.
This is why you should sit down with an employment lawyer to understand what type of evidence you need to collect to file a convincing claim. Your lawyer will also ensure you file your claim long before the deadline.
