Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide

Vol 7 – Appealing Federal Agency Decisions to the EEOC

May 7, 2019
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page i

Table of Contents

Table of Contents .....................................................................................................i

Introduction to the EEOC Public Portal....................................................................1

Chapter 1 Appeal an Agency’s Decision to the EEOC............................................2

Chapter 2 Uploading Appeal Documents..............................................................8

Chapter 3 Viewing and Managing Information About Your Appeal ......................9

Chapter 4 Request for Reconsideration of EEOC’s Decision ...............................10

Chapter 5 Petition for Clarification/Enforcement of EEOC Decision ...................11
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 1

Introduction to the EEOC Public Portal

The EEOC Public Portal is a secure, web-based application developed for individuals to interact 

with the EEOC regarding complaints of employment or hiring discrimination against private 

business or non-profit organizations, unions, temp agency or staffing firms, state or local 

governments, or the Federal government. The EEOC Public Portal is the primary point of 

communication between you and the EEOC.

About the User’s Guide

The EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide (“User’s Guide”) provides comprehensive guidance for 

using the EEOC Public Portal’s features and functions. The User’s Guide is published as 

individual documents, each of which covers a feature or related features of the EEOC Public 

Portal.

The following EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide documents are available (the highlighted 

Document Name is the one you’re reading now):

❖ Vol 1 – Getting Started (learn about logging into the EEOC Public Portal, the Portal 

structure, and other basic information)

❖ Vol 2 – Submit an Online Inquiry to the EEOC 

❖ Vol 3 – Post-Inquiry Tasks (learn about scheduling an interview with the EEOC, 

entering Supplemental Information, filing a Charge of Discrimination)

❖ Vol 4 – Post-Charge Tasks (learn how to check the status of your case, respond to an 

Invitation to Mediate, request/respond to a Respondent’s Position Statement) 

❖ Vol 5 – Charge Closure (learn what happens during the conclusion of an 

investigation/conciliation/closure and about your right to sue)

❖ Vol 6 – Hearings with the EEOC

❖ Vol 7 – Appealing Federal Agency Decisions to the EEOC

❖ Vol 8 – Manage Your Case/Charge Information (learn how to display information 

about your case, enter/update your personal information, add Legal Representatives, 

and submit/receive documents associated with your case)
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 2

Chapter 1 Appeal an Agency’s Decision to the EEOC

To file an appeal with EEOC, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Go to the EEOC Public Portal’s home page at https://publicportal.eeoc.gov

Step 2. On the EEOC Public Portal’s home page, click Filing with EEOC.

Step 3. When asked to identify the Type of Employer you believe discriminated against 

you, select ‘Federal Government agency...’ and click on the Next button.

Step 4. An informational page displays with links to help you learn more about EEOC and 

the hearing and appeal processes. When you are ready to continue, click on the 

Next button.

Step 5. The What would you like to do? page displays. Select File a new appeal and 

click on the Next button.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 3

Step 6. An informational page displays with information about filing an appeal. Click on the 

Next button to continue.

Step 7. You must have an EEOC Public Portal user account. If you have not used the EEOC 

Public Portal before, click on the Sign-Up Now button to create your user account 

(see EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide Vol 1 – Getting Started for details).

➢ Tip! If you already registered with the EEOC, click on the Returning Users button and 

login.

Step 8. Once you are logged in, you will be asked to confirm your contact information and 

provide additional information to complete the request. When you have confirmed 

your contact information, click on the Continue button.

Step 9. Next, you will be asked if you want to enter information about your legal 

representative (this is optional, but if you are being represented by an attorney or

another individual in the EEO process, you should identify your representative

here). Select Yes or No and click on the Next button to continue.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 4

➢ Tip! If you choose not to enter a legal representative now, you will be able to enter one 

later on the My Case page.

Step 10. If you selected Yes, a form will display for you to fill in the representative 

information. When you are finished, click on the Next button to continue.

➢ Tip! EEOC verifies that the representative represents you by sending a verification email 

to the email address provided by you for your representative. EEOC expects a reply 

from the representative within 10 days of sending a verification email; if they haven’t 

received a reply after 10 days, then you will receive an email notifying you that EEOC 

has been unable to verify the representative.

Step 11. A page displays showing the representative(s) you have entered. Click on the Add 

Another Represenative button to add another representative. Click on the 

View/Update Delete button to make changes. When you are finished, click on 

the Next button to continue.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 5

Step 12. Next, you will be asked to provide information about the Agency named in your 

EEO complaint, the identification number that the agency initially assigned to your 

complaint (Agency Complaint Number), and other information about your case. 

First, enter the Agency information and click on the Next button to continue.

➢ Tip! It is crucial that you enter the correct Agency Complaint Number(s) associated with 

your complaint. This will allow EEOC to get the right documents from the right recordkeeping agency about the right case. Entering the wrong Agency Complaint Number will 

delay processing your appeal.

➢ Tip! You can find the Agency Complaint Number listed in several documents, most 

commonly in your formal complaint (some agencies refer to this number as the “Case 

number”), the decision of an EEOC administrative judge, or the final decision of an 

agency. Agencies use different formats for their Agency Complaint Numbers.

➢ Tip! You may enter more than one Agency Complaint Number by clicking on the Add 

Another Complaint Number button.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 6

Step 13. Next, you will be asked for some general information about your case (i.e. has final 

action been taken, has a complaint on this matter been filed with the EEOC or 

another agency, has a civil suit been filed). If you are appealing an agency’s final 

action based on an EEOC Administrative Judge’s decision (with or without a 

hearing), you should also provide the EEOC Hearing Number assigned to your

hearing. When you are finished, click on the Submit Appeal button.

➢ Tip! If you enter an EEOC Hearing Number, it must be the number of an EEOC hearing 

to proceed with an appeal.

➢ Tip! You can find the EEOC Hearing Number in the decision of the EEOC administrative 

judge. An example of an EEOC hearing number is 520-2012-00123X.

➢ Tip! You may enter more than one hearing number by clicking on the Add Another 

Hearing Number button.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 7

Step 14. When the request is sucessfully submitted, you will receive an email with a 

document identified as “Acknowledgment of Appeal Request through the EEOC 

Public Portal”. The Notice may be downloaded from the My Cases page for the 

appeal.

In the Portal, you will also see confirmation with your appeal number as shown 

below (Note: the number displayed is for a fictional appeal.)

Be sure to write down the appeal number so you can refer to it later.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 8

Chapter 2 Uploading Appeal Documents

After you have filed an appeal through the EEOC Public Portal, you can upload documents 

associated with your appeal. Click on the Upload button to begin and follow the prompts 

provided.

For Details see EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide Vol 8 – Managing Case Information. 
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 9

Chapter 3 Viewing and Managing Information About Your Appeal

After you have filed an appeal with the EEOC, you may view the details of your appeal and 

associated documents by clicking on My Cases on the EEOC Public Portal Home Page. From 

the My Case page you may also add Legal Representatives, update your contact information, 

and submit documents to the EEOC. 

For Details see EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide Vol 8 – Managing Case Information. 
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 10

Chapter 4 Request for Reconsideration of EEOC’s Decision

This function will be implemented in a future release.
EEOC Public Portal User’s Guide – Vol 7 Page 11

Chapter 5 Petition for Clarification/Enforcement of EEOC Decision

This function will be implemented in a future release.