Employment Discrimination Claims in Reno
Discrimination at work — because of your race, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation — is illegal. And Nevada may give you as little as 300 days to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$15M
Jury verdict · Hender v. Nike · gender pay discrimination · 2026
$23.5M
Settlement · 150 women · sexual harassment
Prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
Reviewed by Erika Smolyar, admitted in Nevada · Bar No. 16450
Workplace discrimination in Reno — by race (including hair texture), national origin, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity — is illegal under Nevada's NRS 613 (employers with 15+) and federal law. File with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission within 300 days, online only. After a right-to-sue notice, 90 days to sue.
What discrimination actually looks like — and what the law calls it.
Discrimination is rarely a single dramatic act. It's the pattern — the 'jokes,' the passed-over promotion, the accommodation that never comes, the sudden performance problem after you spoke up. The legal test is whether a protected trait drove how you were treated.
The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to laugh too.
The law calls it → racial or national-origin harassment
- Since I started wearing a hijab, I'm suddenly 'not a culture fit' for client meetings. The law calls it → religious discrimination
- They call me 'grandpa' in standups and gave the project I built to someone half my age. The law calls it → age-based harassment and discrimination (40+)
- I asked for a simple schedule change for my disability. Months later, still nothing — and now I'm 'unreliable.' The law calls it → failure to accommodate a disability
- I reported the slurs to HR. Two weeks later my performance was suddenly a problem. The law calls it → retaliation — illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven, as long as it was made in good faith
- The line lead hands the overtime list to his 'compadres' and my name never fits. The law calls it → national-origin discrimination in assignments
These cover race and national origin, disability (and accommodations), age (40 and over), religion (and accommodations), sex and pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity — in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations — not client accounts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal. Here's the whole process — and what we handle for you at each step.
- A free, confidential consultation. Usually 15 minutes. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you may have a case and which deadlines apply to you. If we're not the right fit, we say so.
- We build the record. We help you preserve what matters — texts, emails, schedules, reviews, witness names — and identify your available claims under Nevada and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and unforgiving deadlines. We draft and file with the right agency — state, federal, or both — so nothing lapses while you keep living your life.
- We negotiate from strength. Most matters resolve without a trial — through demand letters and negotiated settlements covering lost pay, emotional distress, and — where negotiable — terms addressing references and future employment.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken cases to trial when employers won't make it right. Ask us how fees and case costs work before you decide anything.
How long do you have to file a workplace discrimination claim in Reno?
The controlling clock is 300 days — to file with nevada’s state agency (online). Every route has its own deadline, and they start from different events:
Nevada workplace discrimination filing deadlines · last reviewed 2026-06-10
- To file with Nevada’s state agency (online) 300 days
300 days from the alleged violation to file with NERC (NRS 233.160(1)(b))
NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive - To sue after the state clears you 90 days
90 days from receipt of right-to-sue notice (NRS 613.412 — available on request after complaint pending 180+ days; NRS 613.420 — issued if NERC finds no violation)
NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive
| Route | Deadline | The fine print | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file with Nevada’s state agency (online) | 300 days | 300 days from the alleged violation to file with NERC (NRS 233.160(1)(b)) | NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive |
| To sue after the state clears you | 90 days | 90 days from receipt of right-to-sue notice (NRS 613.412 — available on request after complaint pending 180+ days; NRS 613.420 — issued if NERC finds no violation) | NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive |
Nevada's fair employment practices law (Equal Opportunities for Employment)
NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive
Covers workplace discrimination claims at employers with 15 or more employees under Nevada law.
Full Nevada workplace discrimination law: deadlines, damages & agencies →What mistakes end Reno cases before they start?
- NERC filing is online-only statewide — the Reno office takes accommodation calls, not walk-in complaints, and the 300-day clock keeps running.
- Ninety days from the right-to-sue notice to file in Washoe County — the shortest step in Nevada's sequence.
- The 15-employee floor covers all Nevada discrimination grounds — below it, options narrow fast.
- Charges dual-file with the EEOC, but your filing date is what matters — verify it in writing.
Where do workplace discrimination claims arise in Reno?
The law protects workers across industries — and these are real, public enforcement actions in and around Reno, not hypotheticals. Reno pairs casino-hospitality risk factors with one of the country's fastest-growing warehouse-distribution corridors — and the EEOC's 'decentralized workplaces' risk factor expressly names distribution centers.
- Race / national origin EEOC v. PRC Industries (Reno): $400,000 settlement (October 2023) of a racial harassment and retaliation suit — two Black employees endured months of slurs from supervisors and were fired by text message within hours of reporting. source ↗
These are government enforcement actions by the EEOC — not this firm's cases. They show how the law is enforced locally; results vary with the facts.
Where do you file a workplace discrimination claim in Reno?
State · NERCNevada Equal Rights Commission
1325 Corporate Blvd., Room 115
Reno, NV 89502
(775) 823-6690
Online-only filing — NERC no longer accepts complaints by mail, fax, or in person.
File online →Federal · EEOCEEOC San Francisco District Office
There is no EEOC office in Reno — Washoe County is covered by the San Francisco District Office. In practice, everyone files online via the EEOC Public Portal or by phone (1-800-669-4000), or with NERC's Reno office via dual-filing.
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5 WestSan Francisco, CA 94102-3661
1-800-669-4000
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday EEOC Public Portal →
CourtSecond Judicial District Court (Washoe County)
75 Court Street
Reno, NV 89501
(775) 328-3110
The filing path, step by step
- Document the pattern — slurs, accent mockery, accommodation requests, who was promoted. Nevada deadlines are firm.
- File with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission online within 300 days (Northern Nevada office, 1325 Corporate Blvd, Reno). Charges dual-file with the EEOC.
- Nevada requires the agency process before suing.
- After a right-to-sue notice: 90 days — state claims in Washoe County District Court, federal in the District of Nevada.
Real verdicts and recoveries in workplace harassment and discrimination cases.
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination — jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Athletic apparel · 2026
$1.3 million
19 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2021
$1 million
27 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2020
$725,000
14 individuals · Racial harassment (14 individual arbitrations)
Manufacturing (paint) · 2025
Dozens of additional sexual harassment matters resolved in the $100,000–$400,000 range.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The attorney behind this page.
You'll talk to real people at our firm — not a call center. This page is reviewed by an attorney licensed in Nevada.
Erika Smolyar
NEVADA BAR NO. 16450
Erika Smolyar is an associate at Ackermann & Tilajef, a plaintiff-side labor and employment firm that represents workers across California, Washington, and Nevada.
Full bio →Our firm represents employees in Reno through attorneys licensed in Nevada. We maintain physical offices in Beverly Hills, California and Tacoma, Washington. We do not maintain a physical office in Reno unless expressly stated. Consultations may be available by phone, video, or by arrangement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Also from our Reno team
Facing sexual harassment instead — or both? Reno sexual harassment guide →
Asked by Reno workers.
Racial slurs are constant at my Reno distribution warehouse — is that illegal?
Yes. Race harassment violates NRS 613 (employers with 15+) and Title VII, and Nevada also expressly protects hair texture. Reno's logistics corridor is a recognized risk environment. File with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission within 300 days online; a supervisor's slurs can count if severe or pervasive.
I'm mocked for my accent at a Reno plant and skipped for promotion — national-origin discrimination?
It can be. NRS 613 and Title VII bar national-origin discrimination — mocking how you speak, slurs about where you're from, or blanket English-only rules with no business reason. File with NERC within 300 days (online), and note the pattern and who got promoted instead.
Pushed out of my Reno job at 58 for someone much younger — is that age discrimination?
Possibly. The ADEA and NRS 613 protect workers 40 and older (the federal ADEA needs 20+ employees; Nevada law reaches employers with 15+). Being replaced by a far younger hire, or 'overqualified' talk, can be evidence. File with NERC within 300 days; after a right-to-sue notice, 90 days to sue.
My Reno employer refuses to accommodate my disability — what are my options?
NRS 613 and the ADA require employers with 15 or more employees to reasonably accommodate disabilities. Refusing, then disciplining you, can be unlawful. File with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission within 300 days (online only); remedies follow the federal Title VII scheme.
Talk to a team that has stood up for workers for decades.
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