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Work & Unemployment

Employment discrimination: how to file with the Anti-Discrimination Unit

Last reviewed: August 13, 2026 — VerifiedDepartamento del Trabajo

In short

The Labour Department’s Anti-Discrimination Unit (UAD) investigates and resolves employment discrimination complaints. The administrative process begins by filing a querella; the UAD intervenes, promotes mediation between the parties, investigates and issues determinations, and refers cases of unlawful discrimination to the Department’s Legal Affairs Bureau for litigation. The Department expressly states that mediation and litigation services in these cases are free of charge. The grounds covered are broad and include some that surprise people: being a victim — or being perceived as a victim — of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, and being a service member, former service member or veteran. And the ground of sex covers pregnancy, sexual harassment, domestic violence and breastfeeding.

External link

Go to the official site

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www.trabajo.pr.gov

What is it?

The UAD is the unit of the Department of Labour and Human Resources that handles employment discrimination. Its work has three parts: it intervenes and promotes mediation between the parties in conflict, it investigates and issues determinations on complaints, and it refers cases of unlawful discrimination to the Department’s Legal Affairs Bureau for litigation. It also offers workshops, conferences, forums and seminars aimed at preventing and combating unlawful discrimination in workplaces. The administrative process begins with the filing of a complaint.

Who can do it?

The Department of Labour lists the discrimination grounds prohibited by the laws the UAD administers as: age, race or colour, sex, national origin, social condition, marriage, political or religious beliefs, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, being a victim or being perceived as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, and being a service member, former service member, serving or having served in the United States armed forces, or being a veteran. The Department further specifies that the ground of sex covers several forms: pregnancy, sexual harassment, domestic violence and breastfeeding.

Requirements

Documents you need

This list describes what is usually requested. It has not yet been confirmed with the official agency.

Cost

Free of charge. The Department of Labour states that mediation services for resolving the conflict and litigation services in these cases are free of charge.

Verified against the official source · August 13, 2026

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Confirm your case falls under a ground

    The UAD’s list is long: age, race or colour, sex, national origin, social condition, marriage, political or religious beliefs, physical, mental or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, being a victim or perceived victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, and being a service member, former service member or veteran. If yours is pregnancy, sexual harassment, domestic violence or breastfeeding, the Department treats those as forms of the sex ground, so they are in as well.

  2. Step 2: Ask about the deadline the same day

    This is the uncomfortable part and it has to be said: the Department of Labour does not publish, on its UAD page, the deadline for filing the complaint. In a discrimination case the deadline decides everything, so call one of the offices and ask that before anything else. Do not assume the deadline of another forum or one you heard about from someone else’s case.

  3. Step 3: Write down what happened, with dates

    Before calling, be clear on what happened, when, who was present and what was said. The UAD investigates and issues determinations, and a complaint with concrete dates and witnesses is an investigable complaint. Keep emails, messages, evaluations and any related employer document.

  4. Step 4: File at the office nearest you

    The UAD has its central office in Hato Rey and area offices in Humacao, Ponce and Mayagüez, each with its own phone number. There is no need to go to San Juan if you live in the west or the south.

  5. Step 5: Expect mediation before litigation

    The UAD intervenes and promotes mediation between the parties in conflict. If the case is not resolved there and the UAD determines there was unlawful discrimination, it refers it to the Department of Labour’s Legal Affairs Bureau for litigation. Both mediation and litigation are free of charge.

Where to do it

Central Office, Hato Rey: 505 Prudencio Rivera Martínez Building, Ave. Muñoz Rivera, 18th floor, Hato Rey, P.R. 00919; postal address PO Box 195540, San Juan, PR 00919-5540; phones 787-754-2167 and 787-754-5353 ext. 13239. Humacao area office: Centro Gubernamental, 45 Calle Cruz Ortiz Stella Norte, Suite 13, Humacao, PR 00791-3751; phones 787-285-5071 and 787-285-5076. Ponce area office: Ave. Santiago de los Caballeros, #60 Calle Puerto Viejo, Sector Playita, Ponce, PR 00716-8110; phone 787-284-2028. Mayagüez area office: Villa Capitán II Building, third floor, 828 Ave. Hostos, Suite 301, Mayagüez, PR 00682-1536; phones 787-833-4110 and 787-833-4150.

How long it takes

Check the current processing time with the official agency.

What to do if something goes wrong

If you searched for “Procurador del Trabajo” thinking that is where you file: it is not. That office, by its own description, advises on labour legislation, prepares briefs and testimony before the Legislative Assembly and issues legal opinions; enquiries go to procuradordeltrabajo@trabajo.pr.gov, but the individual discrimination complaint goes to the UAD. If your claim is not about discrimination but about unpaid wages, overtime or the bonus, that is a different area of the Department of Labour. If the discrimination comes from a government agency as employer, the UAD still handles employment discrimination, but confirm jurisdiction when you call. If your case could also be brought before a federal forum, this guide does not say whether filing with the UAD preserves or waives that route, because the Department does not publish it there and being wrong about it costs the case: ask when you file and, if you can, consult a lawyer. For the same reason this guide does not state the filing deadline, how long the investigation takes, or what remedies are granted. PRFácil does not file complaints, does not represent workers and gives no legal advice.

Common mistakes

  • Going to the Procurador del Trabajo, which advises on legislation, instead of the Anti-Discrimination Unit.
  • Not filing because you assumed a deadline the Department does not publish on that page: ask the same day.
  • Believing pregnancy, sexual harassment or breastfeeding are not covered, when the Department treats them as forms of the sex ground.
  • Not knowing that being a victim — or a perceived victim — of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking is a protected ground in employment.
  • Thinking you need money: mediation and litigation in these cases are free of charge.
  • Filing without dates, without witnesses and without the employer documents that support what happened.

Frequently asked questions

How much does filing a discrimination complaint cost?

The Department of Labour states that mediation services for resolving the conflict and litigation services in these cases are free of charge.

I was fired for being pregnant. Is that discrimination?

The Department of Labour states that the ground of sex covers several forms of discrimination, among them pregnancy, sexual harassment, domestic violence and breastfeeding. The UAD is the unit that handles that kind of complaint; the filing deadline is not published on its page, so ask as soon as possible.

What happens after filing?

The UAD intervenes and promotes mediation between the parties, investigates and issues determinations. Cases of unlawful discrimination are referred to the Department of Labour’s Legal Affairs Bureau for litigation.

Official sources

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

Last verified

August 13, 2026

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