Published by Report 2 HR · Updated October 31, 2026 · 3 min read
QUICK ANSWER
Follow up in writing and keep the date. If there is still no response, you can go to someone more senior or a different channel at the company, and you can look at outside options such as a government agency. Deadlines may keep running while you wait.
First, a short follow-up
Silence can mean many things: an investigation under way, a missed email, or nothing happening. A brief, polite follow-up in writing helps either way and creates a record.
Fictional example
a follow-up email
Subject: Following up on my concern raised March 18
Hello Sam, on March 18 I emailed you about an incident on March 3. I have not received a reply. Could you please confirm you received it and let me know what the next step is, and roughly when? Thank you. — Alex Sample
Names and events are made up for illustration.
Escalate inside the company
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A more senior HR leader or the head of the department.
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A compliance, ethics or whistleblower hotline if your employer has one.
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Your manager’s manager, if that is appropriate and safe.
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A union representative, if you have one.
Each time, keep a short written record: who, when, what you asked, what they said.
Outside options
You do not have to wait for the company to finish before looking at other options. Federal and California agencies take certain complaints. For discrimination, harassment or retaliation, the EEOC (federal) and California’s Civil Rights Department (state) each explain how to file. For wages, the California Labor Commissioner and the U.S. Department of Labor do. For safety, OSHA and Cal/OSHA do.
Deadlines keep running
The EEOC’s deadline is generally 180 days from the discrimination, extended to 300 days where a state or local agency also enforces a law against that kind of discrimination. California’s Civil Rights Department says an employment intake form must be submitted within three years of the date you were last harmed. The EEOC says internal grievances generally do not pause its deadline. Deadlines differ by agency and claim; check the agency’s page or speak to an attorney.
Talking to a lawyer or legal aid
If you are unsure what your options are, an employment attorney, a legal aid office, or a workers’ rights organization can explain them for your situation. Many offer a first consultation. Report 2 HR cannot give legal advice.
A clear written account helps in any of these conversations. You can prepare one privately and keep it with your records.
Private by design: nothing is sent to HR or to Report 2 HR. You decide what to do with the finished document.
General information only
This is general educational information, not legal advice, and it has not yet been reviewed by an attorney. Laws and agency rules change and depend on your facts. Report 2 HR is a writing tool: it does not investigate, file complaints or protect deadlines.
Official sources
These pages were read when this article was written (October 31, 2026). Rules and deadlines change; check the source before you rely on it. Federal and California guidance are listed separately.