EEOC, NLRB & State Labor Board Statute of Limitations Calculator
Calculate your strict administrative filing deadline (180 days, 300 days, 1 year, or 3 years) before your workplace discrimination, retaliation, or wage claim expires.
1. Enter Your Case Details Runs in your browser
2. Your result Live Output
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3. How the rule works
Who this is for
Workers who believe they were discriminated against, harassed or retaliated against and need to know the last day to file with the EEOC, the NLRB, California's Civil Rights Department or a UK employment tribunal.
These deadlines are strict. When in doubt, file early; you can usually add details later.
What to have ready
- The date you were told of the decision, and how.
- Your last day of work.
- The state where you worked.
- Any intake confirmation from an agency.
The rule
Under Title VII, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1), a charge must be filed with the EEOC within 180 days of the discriminatory act, extended to 300 days where a state or local agency enforces a similar law. The same periods apply to the ADA and, with some differences, the ADEA. For a discrete act such as a firing, the clock starts when the decision is made and communicated, not when the last paycheck arrives (Delaware State College v. Ricks, 1980), and internal grievances do not pause it. An unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB must be filed within six months under 29 U.S.C. § 160(b).
California Government Code § 12960 gives three years to file a complaint with the Civil Rights Department. In the UK, most employment tribunal claims must be brought within three months less one day of the act complained of, and the claimant must first contact Acas for early conciliation, which pauses the clock.
Read the official text:
- 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5 (charge filing)
- U.S. EEOC: time limits for filing a charge
- 29 U.S.C. § 160(b) (NLRA six-month limit)
- Acas: early conciliation
Worked example: fired on March 15, 2026
An employee is told on March 15, 2026 that she is fired. Counting calendar days from the next day:
EEOC, no state agency (180 days) -> September 11, 2026 EEOC, with state agency (300 days) -> January 9, 2027 NLRB (6 months) -> September 15, 2026 California CRD (3 years) -> March 15, 2029 UK tribunal (3 months less a day) -> June 14, 2026, before any Acas pause
Common mistakes
- Starting the clock from the last day of pay rather than the date you were told.
- Waiting for an internal appeal. It does not extend the deadline.
- Assuming 300 days applies everywhere. A few states have no deferral agency.
- In the UK, filing the tribunal claim without an Acas early conciliation certificate.
Limits of this tool
- Deadlines vary by statute and state, and some claims (such as the Equal Pay Act) go directly to court.
- Harassment claims based on a series of acts can be timed differently from a single firing.
- The tool does not apply weekend or holiday extensions; treat the calculated date as the last safe date.
Sources were last checked in October 2026. Statutes are amended often; if the official text differs from this page, the official text controls.
4. Clear Next Steps & Statutory Action Plan
- Write down the date you were told of the decision, not just your last day.
- Find the shortest deadline among the agencies that could apply.
- Submit an intake or charge before it, and keep the confirmation.
5. Frequently Asked Statutory Questions (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e)(1) (EEOC 180/300-Day Rule); Cal. Gov. Code § 12960 (CRD 3-Year Rule))
Does an internal HR investigation pause the EEOC deadline?
No. The Supreme Court has held that internal grievance procedures do not toll the charge-filing period.
When does the 300-day period apply?
When the state or locality has an agency that enforces a law against the same discrimination, which covers most states, including California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Washington.
Does Acas early conciliation extend the UK deadline?
Yes. The time spent in early conciliation does not count, and there can be a further extension after the certificate is issued.