You are the HR Professional for your organization. You're leading a presentation on equal employment opportunity terminology for your staff. Beth, a staff member, wants to know what a charge is -in re

This describes documentation broadly rather than a formal legal instrument; a charge is a specific formal complaint that confers jurisdiction on the agency, not general documentation of an event.

This defines the 'charging party' - the individual who files the complaint - not the charge itself, which is the document rather than the person.

Evidence of discrimination is gathered during the investigation that follows a charge; a charge is an allegation and does not require proof of discrimination at the time of filing.

A charge is the formal written complaint filed with the EEOC or a related agency that alleges a violation of laws prohibiting employment discrimination. It is the legal instrument that triggers the agency's jurisdiction and investigation process. This distinguishes the charge from the charging party (the individual) and from evidence or findings produced during the investigation.