Discrimination At Work
Human Relations Act — 180 days to file, and court after a year
In Pennsylvania, it is an unlawful discriminatory practice for an employer to refuse to hire, to discharge, or to discriminate in pay, tenure, terms, conditions or privileges of employment because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, sex, national origin, a non-job related handicap or disability, or the use of a guide or support animal, unless the reason is a bona fide occupational qualification.
A complaint is filed with the Commission within 180 days. A complaint of discrimination is filed with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission within 180 days after the alleged act, unless the Fair Housing Act requires otherwise. The Commission refuses a complaint it finds untimely with no grounds for equitable tolling.
If, within one year after the complaint is filed, the Commission dismisses it or has not reached a conciliation agreement the complainant is part of, the Commission notifies the complainant, who can then sue in the court of common pleas. That action is filed within two years after the notice closing the complaint.
Which employers the act covers, and what each protected class means, are defined in another section of the act not set out here.
Sources for this section (3)
- Human Relations Act 5 — Unlawful discriminatory practices
- Human Relations Act 9 — Procedure
- Human Relations Act 12 — Construction and exclusiveness of remedy
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Pennsylvania attorney.