EEOC Intake Interview: What to Expect and How to Prepare
Learn how the EEOC online inquiry and intake interview work, what information to prepare, what stays confidential, and why the charge filing deadline still matters.
What the EEOC Inquiry and Intake Interview Are
For most private-sector, state-government, and local-government workers, the EEOC process usually starts with an online inquiry and an intake interview, not with the charge itself. The EEOC says a Charge of Discrimination can be completed through its Public Portal after you submit an online inquiry and the agency interviews you. A charge is a signed statement asserting that an employer, union, or labor organization engaged in employment discrimination, and it is what the laws require before most discrimination lawsuits. The EEOC states plainly that submitting an inquiry is different from filing a charge. Federal employees and applicants use a separate federal-sector process.
How the Online Inquiry Works
When you start an inquiry in the Public Portal, the EEOC asks a few screening questions: what type of employer is involved, when the action happened, why you believe the employer discriminated against you, roughly how many employees the employer has, and in which state it happened. If the EEOC does not have legal authority over the situation, the agency says it will point you to other agencies that may be able to help. If your answers suggest the EEOC can address the situation, you create a secure account, answer more questions, and schedule an intake interview.
Interview Formats and Scheduling
The EEOC says it will ask you to choose an interview by audio, by video, or in person at one of its 53 offices. Portal appointments depend on available dates. The EEOC also says you may visit an office in person without an appointment during business hours, generally 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; walk-ins are seen first come, first served, with people facing close filing deadlines seen first. The agency says it will make every effort to take a charge during a visit, but in some instances staff may only answer questions and explain next steps.
Protect the Filing Deadline While You Wait
A charge generally must be filed within 180 calendar days of the discriminatory act, or 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a law against discrimination on the same basis, with narrower rules for age claims. An inquiry or a future appointment date should not be treated as a filed charge. If 60 days or fewer remain, the EEOC says the Public Portal will give special directions for providing the necessary information and filing quickly, and the agency encourages people with a fast-approaching deadline to contact it and ask for an expedited interview. The EEOC also accepts a signed letter by mail that includes the details its filing page lists. In Federal Express Corp. v. Holowecki, an age discrimination case, the Supreme Court held that, in addition to the minimum information the regulations require, a filing must be reasonably construed as a request for the agency to take remedial action to be treated as a charge. That fact-specific ruling is not a reason to skip confirming that a signed charge was filed and when.
What to Prepare Before the Interview
The EEOC says people who contact it may be asked for their name, address, contact details, and date of birth; a Social Security number is optional. It may also ask for the employer's name, address, and approximate number of employees, the dates of harm, the employer's explanation for its actions if available, why you believe the action was discriminatory, and the names of people treated more favorably, if applicable. It helps to prepare a short dated timeline, the names and roles of decision-makers and witnesses, any complaints or accommodation requests you made, and copies of records you are lawfully allowed to keep, such as your own pay records, schedules, evaluations, and messages sent to you.
What the Interview Is For
The EEOC says an interview with a staff member is, in its experience, the best way to assess concerns about employment discrimination and decide whether filing a charge is the appropriate path. The interviewer may ask follow-up questions about coverage, dates, the protected basis, and any retaliation. The EEOC also says the final decision to file a charge is your own. The laws require the agency to accept charges, but the EEOC says it will dismiss a charge without further investigation if the laws do not apply, the charge is untimely, or the agency decides to limit its investigation, and it will notify you of your legal rights.
Confidentiality Before and After a Charge
According to the EEOC, information from people who contact the agency is confidential and is not revealed to the employer unless a charge is filed. Once a charge is filed, the employer receives the charging party's name and basic information about the allegations, and by law the EEOC notifies the employer within 10 days of the filing date. The agency says charge information is not disclosed to the public. A person or organization may file a charge on behalf of someone else to protect that person's identity, although the EEOC notes that the circumstances of a charge can still make the person's identity apparent.
Reviewing and Signing the Charge
Under 29 CFR 1601.9, a charge must be in writing, signed, and verified. Federal regulations say a charge should include the parties' names and contact information, a clear and concise statement of the facts including pertinent dates, the approximate number of employees if known, and whether a state or local proceeding has started. Before signing, check that the draft names the right employer and lists each protected basis, each key event and date, and any retaliation you intend to raise. The regulations allow later amendments to clarify or add related allegations, but a separate deadline can still apply to new events, so it is better to raise known facts at the start. Keep your contact information current with the EEOC, and save a copy of the signed charge and its filing date.
Retaliation Protection
The EEOC says all of the laws it enforces make it illegal for an employer to fire, demote, harass, or otherwise retaliate against someone who files a charge or takes part in an EEOC investigation or lawsuit. If something happens after you file, write down what changed and when, preserve lawful records, and contact the investigator assigned to your charge promptly. The investigator may add a retaliation claim if appropriate, but the EEOC warns that filing deadlines also apply when adding to a charge.
When to Get a Free Consult
Get a free consult if your filing deadline may be close, if you are unsure which employer or legal basis to name, if the intake appointment is weeks away, or if you want a lawyer to review a draft charge before you sign it. This article is general information, not legal advice. The right approach depends on the dates, the employer, the protected basis, state or local agency options, and any other claims that may have shorter deadlines. You may use the EEOC process without a lawyer, and no lawyer can guarantee what the agency will decide.
Primary Sources
- EEOC: Filing a Charge of DiscriminationAccessed September 24, 2026
- EEOC: How to File a Charge of Employment DiscriminationAccessed September 24, 2026
- EEOC: EEOC Public PortalAccessed September 24, 2026
- EEOC: ConfidentialityAccessed September 24, 2026
- EEOC: Time Limits for Filing a ChargeAccessed September 24, 2026
- 29 CFR 1601.7 to 1601.12: Charge Filing RulesAccessed September 24, 2026
- Federal Express Corp. v. Holowecki, 552 U.S. 389 (2008)Accessed September 24, 2026
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