If an employer has declined to hire an applicant for racial purposes or an employer discriminates against an employee before filing a discrimination complaint, there might be no need to go to human resources. However, it may be appropriate or advised to guide a complaint to a supervisor or human resources office before filing a lawsuit, depending on the form of discrimination or abuse involved. If a co-worker or other non-supervisor is involved in workplace abuse, the employer can only be responsible if the employer is incompetent.