EEOC offices in New York
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal laws prohibiting workplace discrimination. EEOC investigates complaints regardless of immigration status — federal law protects undocumented workers too.
EEOC offices serving New York
| Office | Address | Phone | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Local Office | 300 Pearl Street, Suite 450 Buffalo, NY 14202 | 1-800-669-4000 | Gwendolyn Hoy (Acting) |
| New York District Office | 33 Whitehall Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10004 | 1-800-669-4000 | Arlean Nieto (Acting) |
What EEOC handles
- Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation), national origin, age (40+), disability, or genetic information
- Harassment including sexual harassment
- Retaliation against workers who report discrimination
- Equal Pay Act violations (gender-based pay differences)
- Failure to accommodate disability or religious practice
How to file a charge
- Call 1-800-669-4000 (English / Spanish — interpreters available for 200+ languages)
- File online at publicportal.eeoc.gov
- Visit a field office above (appointment recommended)
- Deadline: Generally 180 days from the discrimination event (300 days in states with state agencies)
Immigration status note
EEOC investigates regardless of immigration status. The agency does NOT report immigration status to ICE. Federal anti-discrimination laws protect all workers in the US, including undocumented workers. Filing a charge does not affect your immigration case.
Related procedural information
- Work and wage rights in New York — state minimum wage, wage theft remedies
- USCIS Form I-765 — Employment Authorization (EAD) — work authorization
- Find legal aid in your state — civil rights and employment lawyers
- Know Your Rights — workplace — what employers cannot do
Last verified: 2026-05-27.
Recent fee, deadline, and contact context (2025-2026)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received approximately 88,000 workplace-discrimination charges in FY 2024. The agency recovered over $700 million in monetary relief for victims across all categories. Average recovery per charge: $8,000-$50,000 depending on category; high-impact litigation can recover $1 million+.
Deadlines: 180 days from the discrimination event to file an EEOC charge (300 days if your state has a Fair Employment Practices Agency / FEPA). For Equal Pay Act claims: 2 years (3 years for willful violations). For ADA failure-to-accommodate: 180 days from the most recent denial.
EEOC investigated and conciliated charges affecting 4 million+ workers in FY 2024. Settlements can include: back pay (up to 2 years), front pay, reinstatement, hiring, compensatory damages (capped at $50,000-$300,000 by employer size for Title VII), punitive damages (intentional discrimination), and attorneys’ fees. EEOC public portal at publicportal.eeoc.gov supports filing in English + Spanish + 200+ language interpreter access at 1-800-669-4000 (TTY 1-800-669-6820) Monday-Friday 7:00am-7:00pm ET.
Immigration-status protection is statutory: EEOC has investigated and recovered for undocumented workers (e.g., Hoffman Plastic Compounds v. NLRB 2002 limited back-pay for undocumented but other remedies remain). USCIS Form I-9 violations by employers are separately enforceable through the Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER); call 1-800-255-7688 or osc.crt@usdoj.gov.