Employment FAQ

Statutory guidelines state that a determination shall be made within ninety (90) days after the complaint is filed with this office. If the investigation extends beyond ninety (90) days, the complainant and respondent will receive a status report every thirty (30) days until final resolution.

You must submit a written, sworn complaint of discrimination within one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the alleged unlawful employment practice for this agency to investigate your claim.

Legal representation is not necessary during the agency’s investigative process. However, it is your decision whether you wish to obtain legal representation.

Yes. Based on the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, the Georgia Fair Employment Practices Act (FEPA) prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. When filing a complaint with the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (GCEO), the basis of sex includes sexual orientation.

It is illegal for your employer to take any employment action against you because you filed a complaint with this agency. If you file a GCEO complaint of discrimination and believe that you have been subjected to retaliation, you are encouraged to contact the agency immediately.

To file a complaint of discrimination with the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (GCEO), an individual must allege an adverse employment action or employment-related harm that is believed to have occurred because of a protected characteristic, such as race, religion, color, age, sex (including sexual orientation), national origin, disability, retaliation, or another classification protected under applicable law.

 

In order to file a complaint of discrimination with this agency, one needs only to believe that they have been discriminated against based upon race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, retaliation and/or disability.

It is not necessary for you to conduct an investigation. However, you will be asked to provide as much information as possible to support your allegation(s) of unlawful discrimination.

To request records from the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.), please submit your request through GCEO’s Open Records Request page.

Please include sufficient information to help identify the records you are seeking, which may include:

• Your full name
• Your mailing address
• Your contact telephone number (and fax number, if available)
• The case number associated with your request (if applicable)
• The name(s) of the Complainant(s), Respondent(s), and/or associated parties relevant to your request

Please note that records produced in response to an Open Records Request may be subject to redaction in accordance with applicable law. Charges for copies and administrative costs may apply as permitted under the Georgia Open Records Act.

For additional information or to submit a request, please visit GCEO’s Open Records Request page: Open Records Request.

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To download a copy of the Equal Employment Division's FEPA poster for public use, select the following link: /document/publication/gceo-ga-fepa-posterpdf/download  (PDF, 227.72 KB) .