The Equal Opportunity Commission receives, investigates and as far as possible, conciliates allegations of discrimination lodged with it.
A complaint must be lodged in writing. There are three (3) ways to lodge a complaint:
- Complete the online complaint form.
- Download from our website, complete it, and email it to complaints@eoc.gov.tt.
- Download from our website, complete it, and drop it off at our office
Monday to Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
There is no office in Tobago; however, officers from the Commission usually have outreach days on the third (3rd) Friday of every month.
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A complaint must be lodged within six (6) months of the alleged discriminatory act taking place. In exceptional circumstances, a complaint lodged outside of the six (6) month period may be accepted.
There is no specific time frame for any one complaint. Each complaint is handled on a case-by-case basis. This process can range from a couple of weeks to several months, depending on the evidence received by both the complainant and the respondent.
There are four categories where discrimination can occur:
- Employment
- Education
- Provision of Goods and Services
- Provision of Accommodation
The status grounds for each category are Race, Ethnicity, Religion, Marital Status, Disability, Sex, and Origin (including Geographical origin).
‘Status’ refers to a personal characteristic of the individual.
The Commission and its staff are not advocates for either the complainant (person making the complaint) or the respondent (person/body against whom the allegations are made). The Commission’s function is not to represent one party or to take their side; its remit is to investigate and, as far as possible, conciliate allegations of discrimination (or victimisation or offensive behaviour).
Conciliation is a form of Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR); it is an alternative to going to Court to litigate a matter.
If the parties have reached an amicable resolution, this is usually formalised in a ‘Conciliation Agreement’ which the Conciliator will help the parties draft.
After the parties have signed the agreement, it will be registered with the Equal Opportunity Tribunal, where it becomes an Order of the Court (see section 38 of the Equal Opportunity Act, Chapter 22:03). It is enforceable as any order of the Court.
Requests can be forwarded to:
Equal Opportunity Commission
55-57 Manic Street
Chaguanas
500621
Trinidad and Tobago
Email: communications@eoc.gov.tt
Our Office is located at
55-57 Manic Street,
Chaguanas
Please visit our Contact Us Page for more information.