How should complaints of discrimination be filed?

If apprentices or applicants for apprenticeship believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), sexual orientation, age (40 or older), genetic information, or disability, or that their program is not following the equal opportunity standards, they can file a written complaint with the Registration Agency under which the apprenticeship is registered.  Under 29 C.F.R. 30.14, complaints must be filed within 300 days of the alleged discrimination or the alleged failure to follow the equal opportunity standards.  The apprentice may also be able to file a complaint directly with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the State fair employment practices agency in which the apprenticeship program is located.  The contact information for those agencies must be included on the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) notice, which must be provided in the application for apprenticeship and must also be displayed in a prominent, publicly available location where all apprentices will see the notice.  The EEO notice language is available on the Inform Apprentices EEO webpage. A sample poster for sponsors to customize is available on the Access Pledge Poster webpage.

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Yes. Under 29 C.F.R. 30.14, an authorized representative may file a complaint on behalf of an apprentice.  This could allow a friend, family member, advocate, or lawyer to file such a complaint. A community group, a journeyworker who mentors apprentices, or a more senior worker may also file a complaint on behalf of the apprentice. The only requirement is that any such representative be authorized by the apprentice.   

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Under the apprenticeship EEO regulations, apprentices and applicants for apprenticeship have 300 days from the alleged discrimination to file a complaint, although individuals are encouraged to file a complaint as promptly as possible.  The Registration Agency may extend the filing time for “good cause.” The details are provided on the Inform Apprentices EEO webpage.

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Yes. Retaliation against any party for filing an EEO complaint is specifically prohibited in Registered Apprenticeship Programs. 

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