Workplace Harassment Lawyer for Reno Workers
Harassment at work — sexual, racial, or any protected trait — is illegal. And Nevada may give you as little as 300 days to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$150 million+ recovered for workers
What this looks like in real life — and what the law calls it.
Harassment is usually smaller, repeated, and easier to doubt than people expect. The legal test is whether unwelcome conduct tied to who you are made your job hostile — it does not have to be sexual, physical, or loud. Each situation below maps to a real claim.
He says the comments are jokes. They're about my body, and they happen every shift.
The law calls it → sexual harassment (hostile work environment)
- "My manager hinted my hours depend on how 'friendly' I am after work." The law calls it → quid pro quo sexual harassment
- "The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to." 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 (40+)
- "I reported it 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
- "They didn't fire me. They just made every day bad enough that I'd quit." The law calls it → constructive discharge
These cover sex, race, religion, age, disability, national origin, LGBTQ+ status, and retaliation — every protected ground, 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 map your strongest claims under Nevada and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and fatal 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 terms that protect your future references.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken harassment cases to jury verdicts. You pay nothing unless we win — our fee comes out of the recovery, never your pocket.
Honest expectations: agency processes run months, not weeks — but many matters resolve sooner through negotiation, and acting early protects both your evidence and your deadlines. We'll give you a realistic timeline for your situation on the first call.
How long do you have to file a harassment claim?
Reno workers have 300 days to file harassment complaints with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission — its Northern Nevada office is right on Corporate Blvd, though filing is online-only. There's no EEOC office in Reno (San Francisco's district covers Washoe County), but the EEOC Public Portal works from anywhere. A Reno facility paid $400,000 in a recent EEOC racial-harassment case — these claims are real here. Compare all states →
Nevada's fair employment practices law (Equal Opportunities for Employment)
NRS 613.310 to 613.4383, inclusive
Covers harassment at employers with 15 or more employees .
What you can recover
- Nevada law expressly incorporates the Title VII remedy scheme (NRS 613.432, added 2019/amended 2021)
- Back pay and reinstatement
- Injunctive relief
- Compensatory and punitive damages subject to federal caps
Federal Title VII caps apply to combined compensatory + punitive: $50,000 (15-100 employees); $100,000 (101-200); $200,000 (201-500); $300,000 (500+)
Punished for speaking up? That's a separate claim.
NRS 613.340(1): unlawful to discriminate against any employee/applicant because they opposed an unlawful practice or made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing (opposition + participation clauses)
4 things worth knowing about Nevada law
- Hair texture + protective hairstyles expressly protected (NRS 613.310(6)-(7))
- Sexual orientation + gender identity/expression expressly protected — broader on its face than Title VII's enumerated list
- Age-discrimination appeals get expedited briefing (NRS 613.435)
- Nevada Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act (NRS 613.4353-613.4383)
Every deadline that could apply to you
- Nevada Equal Rights Commission (state)
- 300 days from the alleged violation to file with NERC (NRS 233.160(1)(b))
- Federal EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
- 300 days (Nevada is a deferral state — NERC is an EEOC-listed FEPA)
- Civil suit
- Per NRS 613.430: no action under NRS 613.420 or Title VII more than 180 days after the act OR more than 90 days after the NERC/EEOC right-to-sue notice, whichever is later; limitation tolled during pendency of a NERC or EEOC complaint
- After right-to-sue
- 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)
The mistakes that end Reno cases before they start.
- 300 days for NERC and EEOC — and NERC is online-only; no walk-ins.
- After a right-to-sue notice: just 90 days to sue.
- No EEOC office in Reno means some workers wrongly assume they can't file federally — the Public Portal works from anywhere.
- Gigafactory workers: Storey County worksites sometimes confuse venue questions — don't let jurisdiction confusion eat your window.
- Nevada requires 15+ employees for the statutory claim — small-employer situations need early legal triage.
Where harassment claims arise in Reno.
The law protects you in every industry and every workplace — 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.
- 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 ↗
Three venues. Different deadlines. One decision.
State · NERC Nevada 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 · EEOC EEOC 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 →
Court Second Judicial District Court (Washoe County)
75 Court Street
Reno, NV 89501
(775) 328-3110
The filing path, step by step
- Document everything — texts especially. In the region's defining recent case, workers were fired BY TEXT after reporting slurs; those messages became evidence.
- File with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission within 300 days — online at mynerccomplaint.nv.gov (Reno office for phone help: 775-823-6690).
- Or file with the EEOC within 300 days via the Public Portal — no EEOC office exists in Reno; San Francisco's district covers Washoe County, but geography doesn't matter for online filing.
- Gigafactory/TRI-Center workers: your worksite is in Storey County, but NERC filing is statewide and online — county lines don't block your complaint.
- After a right-to-sue notice: 90 days to file at the Second Judicial District Court, 75 Court Street.
$150 million+
Recovered for workers — including a $23.5 million sexual harassment settlement for 150 female workers.
Results obtained primarily in California matters. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different; the value and outcome of your matter will depend on its specific facts.
The attorneys behind this page.
You'll talk to the people on this page — not a call center. Licensed in California and Washington. Matters in this state are handled in association with licensed local counsel — how that works →
pending
Craig J. Ackermann
CA STATE BAR NO. 229832
Craig J. Ackermann has 25 years of employment law experience and has served as lead or co-lead counsel in more than 600 class, collective, or PAGA actions since 2007 on behalf of more than 500,000 workers.
Full bio →pending
[Avi — full name placeholder]
WASHINGTON STATE BAR NO. [PENDING]
Bio paragraph pending from Ackermann & Tilajef. Leads the firm's Washington practice from the Tacoma office.
Full bio →The clock is real. Action is simple.
- Document everything Dates, times, places, exact words, witnesses. Contemporaneous notes are powerful evidence.
- Preserve messages Screenshot texts, emails, chat messages — before you lose access to work accounts.
- Report it in writing Internal reports create a record and trigger your employer's legal duty to act.
- Don't sign anything quickly Severance and separation agreements can affect your rights. Have them reviewed first.
- Know retaliation is illegal Cut hours, worse shifts, exclusion, or termination after you report may be a separate violation.
- Get a free consultation Deadlines are short and mandatory. An employment lawyer can map your options quickly.
Asked by Reno workers.
I work at the Tesla Gigafactory — it's in Storey County, not Reno. Where do I file a harassment complaint?
NERC filing is statewide and online — file at mynerccomplaint.nv.gov regardless of county, with phone help from the Reno office (775-823-6690). Storey County technically falls under the EEOC's San Francisco district, but the Public Portal makes that irrelevant. Don't let geography delay you: the window is 300 days.
There's no EEOC office in Reno — do I have to go to San Francisco to file?
No. File online through the EEOC Public Portal, by phone (1-800-669-4000), or with NERC's Reno office — charges dual-file between the agencies. Nobody travels to San Francisco for this.
My supervisor at a Sparks distribution center uses racial slurs and management does nothing. Is that illegal?
Yes. Nevada law (NRS 613.330) prohibits racial harassment, and this exact pattern happened here: the EEOC sued a Reno facility where two Black employees endured months of slurs, and the company paid $400,000 (2023). Management inaction after notice is where employer liability attaches.
I was fired by text message after reporting harassment at my warehouse job. Is that retaliation?
Very likely — and it mirrors the facts of the Reno area's defining recent case, where firing-by-text after harassment reports was part of a $400,000 EEOC settlement. Retaliation is independently illegal under NRS 613.340. Preserve those texts; they're evidence, not just insults.
I'm a dealer at a downtown Reno casino and regulars harass me — the floor manager says it's 'part of the job.' Is it?
No. Customer harassment is actionable when the employer knows and fails to act — tipped, customer-facing casino work is a recognized EEOC risk environment precisely because workers are told to tolerate it. 'Part of the job' is a confession, not a defense.
I got my NERC right-to-sue letter — how long do I have to file in Washoe County court?
90 days from receipt. The courthouse is the Second Judicial District Court at 75 Court Street in Reno. Ninety days disappears fast — if you have the letter in hand, the time to talk to a lawyer is now.
Talking to us is easier than you think.
A person answers — not a phone tree.
Call, or send the two-minute form. A real person replies within one business day.
We listen first.
Say as much or as little as you want. It stays confidential.
You decide what happens next.
No fee unless we win. No pressure. Some people just want to know where they stand.
Talk to someone who's recovered millions for workers like you.
Two minutes to start. Matters in Nevada are handled in association with licensed local counsel.
A person answers · one business day