Iowa Workplace Harassment Laws: 4-Employee Rule, 300 Days (2026)

Workplace harassment is unlawful in Iowa when it is tied to a protected trait and is serious enough to create a hostile work environment, but the rule comes from the courts rather than from an express clause in the statute. The Iowa Civil Rights Act (Iowa Code chapter 216) makes it an unfair practice to "otherwise discriminate in employment" because of a listed trait (Iowa Code § 216.6(1)(a)), and the Iowa Supreme Court relies on that language to hold that the Act "prohibits harassment that rises to the level of creating or maintaining a hostile work environment" (Valdez v. West Des Moines Community Schools, 2023).

The employment section applies to employers that regularly employ four or more individuals, not counting the employer's family members (§ 216.6(6)(a)). Complaints go to the Iowa Office of Civil Rights within 300 days. For other states, see workplace harassment laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-20. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Iowa state law on workplace harassment by employers, supervisors and coworkers under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Iowa Code chapter 216 (chiefly §§ 216.2, 216.6, 216.11, 216.15, 216.16 and 216.19), with notes on Iowa Code §§ 19B.12, 123.49 and 729.6 and the Iowa Supreme Court decisions that define the hostile-environment claim. It does not cover wrongful firing or the full complaint and lawsuit procedure (see Iowa wrongful termination), damages estimates, criminal harassment or stalking, harassment outside employment, or federal-employee procedure.

Iowa harassment rules at a glance

What Iowa law prohibits

Section 216.6(1)(a) is the core of Iowa's employment law. It makes it "an unfair or discriminatory practice" for any person:

"to refuse to hire, accept, register, classify, or refer for employment, to discharge any employee, or to otherwise discriminate in employment against any applicant for employment or any employee because of the age, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or disability of such applicant or employee, unless based upon the nature of the occupation." (Iowa Code § 216.6(1)(a))

Nothing in that section, or anywhere else in chapter 216, defines harassment or sexual harassment for private employment, and the chapter contains no "severe or pervasive" wording. The Iowa Supreme Court has said so directly. In Valdez v. West Des Moines Community Schools, 992 N.W.2d 613 (Iowa 2023), the court wrote that the legislature "did not expressly include a hostile-work-environment provision in the ICRA" and that the claim "has been developed through our caselaw, beginning in 1990, based expressly on Title VII precedent." The court continued: "we relied on the 'otherwise discriminate' language in Iowa Code section 216.6(1) to hold that the ICRA prohibits harassment that rises to the level of creating or maintaining a hostile work environment."

So the Iowa harassment claim is a judge-made reading of the general discrimination clause. It reaches harassment because of any of the nine traits the section lists.

Which Iowa employers are covered

Chapter 216 defines "employer" broadly as "the state of Iowa or any political subdivision, board, commission, department, institution, or school district thereof, and every other person employing employees within the state" (§ 216.2(9)). The employment section then carves out small and household employers and some religious employers. Section 216.6(6) says the section "shall not apply to":

• "Any employer who regularly employs less than four individuals. For purposes of this subsection, individuals who are members of the employer's family shall not be counted as employees."
• "The employment of individuals for work within the home of the employer if the employer or members of the employer's family reside therein during such employment."
• "The employment of individuals to render personal service to the person of the employer or members of the employer's family."
• "Any bona fide religious institution or its educational facility, association, corporation, or society with respect to any qualifications for employment based on religion or sexual orientation when such qualifications are related to a bona fide religious purpose" (§ 216.6(6)(d)).

Iowa uses one threshold for harassment and for every other kind of employment discrimination; there is no lower number for sexual harassment. The four-employee line is well below federal law: Title VII defines an employer as a person with "fifteen or more employees for each working day in each of twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year" (42 U.S.C. § 2000e(b)).

Interns, volunteers and contractors

The Act defines "employee" as "any person employed by an employer" (§ 216.2(8)). Chapter 216 contains no separate clause extending its employment protections to unpaid interns, volunteers or independent contractors.

Protected traits

Section 216.6(1)(a) lists nine traits: age, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion and disability. Several definitions and side rules shape that list:

• Sexual orientation means "actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality" (§ 216.2(16)).
• Gender identity no longer appears in § 216.6. The 2025 Iowa Acts, chapter 1 (S.F. 418) amended subsection 1 of the section, and the current Code text lists only the nine traits above.
• Sex is defined for Iowa statutes by Iowa Code § 4.1A, enacted by the same 2025 act, as being either male or female as observed or clinically established at birth. The same section provides that "Any state law, policy, or program that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex shall be construed to forbid unfair or discriminatory practices against females or males in relation to similarly situated members of the opposite sex."
• Age has no minimum of 40 in Iowa. Instead, the section "shall not prohibit discrimination on the basis of age if the person subject to the discrimination is under the age of eighteen years, unless that person is considered by law to be an adult" (§ 216.6(3)).
• Pregnancy and childbirth have their own subsection. Under § 216.6(2)(a), "A written or unwritten employment policy or practice which excludes from employment applicants or employees because of the employee's pregnancy is a prima facie violation of this chapter."
• Occupational qualification: the section's own limiting clause excepts conduct "based upon the nature of the occupation."

The employment section does not list hair texture or protective hairstyles, genetic information, marital status or familial status (familial status is defined in § 216.2 but is not one of the § 216.6 employment bases). Genetic testing is addressed in a separate chapter: under Iowa Code § 729.6(2), an employer "shall not directly or indirectly" "solicit, require, or administer a genetic test to a person as a condition of employment, preemployment application, labor organization membership, or licensure." That rule sits outside the Civil Rights Act.

The hostile work environment standard

Because the statute has no harassment definition, the elements come from the Iowa Supreme Court. In White v. State, No. 21-1898 (Iowa 2024), the court restated the four elements a plaintiff must prove: "(1) he or she belongs to a protected group; (2) he or she was subjected to unwelcome harassment; (3) the harassment was based on a protected characteristic; and (4) the harassment affected a term, condition, or privilege of employment".

On the fourth element, the court wrote that "To establish whether harassment was severe or pervasive, the plaintiff must not only show he or she subjectively perceived the conduct as abusive, but that a reasonable person would also find the conduct to be abusive or hostile." It added that "hostile-work-environment claims by their nature involve ongoing and repeated conduct, not isolated events."

Whether particular conduct meets that standard is a fact question that courts decide case by case.

Employer responsibility

Valdez describes two routes to employer liability: "An employer can be liable under the ICRA for creating or maintaining a hostile work environment in two different ways: through its own direct negligence or through vicarious liability for a supervisor's actions."

• Direct negligence: "a necessary element of a direct negligence claim is the employer's failure 'to take prompt and appropriate remedial action.'"
• Vicarious liability for a supervisor: the employer "can avoid vicarious liability if it can show it 'exercised reasonable care' to promptly correct or prevent the harassing behavior and the plaintiff failed to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the employer."

These rules come from the court's opinion, not from the text of chapter 216.

Can an individual harasser be sued in Iowa?

Section 216.6(1) applies to any "Person," and the Iowa Supreme Court has recognized individual liability under that wording. For a hostile work environment, though, Valdez limits personal liability to people with power over the workplace: "in the context of a hostile work environment, the necessary authority for liability must include the authority to correct or prevent an abusive working environment." The court explained that "Nonsupervisory employees cannot 'effectuate' a hostile working environment because they are not responsible for creating or maintaining the working environment and lack the authority to correct or prevent an abusive environment," and it upheld a directed verdict for the coworker defendant in that case.

Separately, § 216.11(1) makes it an unfair practice for "Any person to intentionally aid, abet, compel, or coerce another person to engage in any of the practices declared unfair or discriminatory by this chapter."

Retaliation for complaining

Section 216.11(2) makes it an unfair or discriminatory practice for "Any person to discriminate or retaliate against another person in any of the rights protected against discrimination by this chapter because such person has lawfully opposed any practice forbidden under this chapter, obeys the provisions of this chapter, or has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter." Firings after a complaint, and how they fit with Iowa's default employment rule, are covered on the Iowa at-will employment and Iowa wrongful termination pages.

Deadlines and where to file

The Iowa Office of Civil Rights takes complaints under chapter 216. Its complaint page states: "A complaint must be filed with the IOCR within 300 days of the alleged discriminatory practice."

• Agency deadline: "Except as provided in section 614.8, a claim under this chapter shall not be maintained unless a complaint is filed with the agency within three hundred days after the alleged discriminatory or unfair practice occurred" (§ 216.15(13)). Chapter 216 sets no separate deadline for harassment. The agency's rules provide that "All alleged continuous violations that constitute a pattern or practice are timely if the most recent act occurred within 300 days of filing the complaint," and that the 300-day period "is subject to waiver, estoppel, and equitable tolling" (161 IAC 3.2).
• Minors and persons with mental illness: § 614.8 extends the time in favor of minors, who "shall have one year from and after attainment of majority within which to file a complaint pursuant to chapter 216," and in favor of persons with mental illness, who have "one year from and after the termination of the disability."
• Court deadline: a lawsuit under § 216.16 follows a release from the agency, and "An action authorized under this section is barred unless commenced within ninety days after issuance by the agency of a release under subsection 3" (§ 216.16(4)). Once a release is obtained, "the agency is barred from further action on that complaint."
• Federal charge: the Iowa Office of Civil Rights states that "If federal laws apply, the case will be filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)." The EEOC office that covers Iowa states that "An individual has 300 days from the date of alleged harm to file a charge with this office against an employer with 15 or more employees for discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and/or disability in the States of Iowa and Wisconsin," and it lists the Iowa Office of Civil Rights among the state and local agencies it works with.
• Local agencies: some Iowa cities have local civil rights agencies. A complainant who files with a local referral agency cannot also file with the state agency on the same acts, and the reverse is also true (§ 216.19(6)). Since S.F. 579 (2026), a local complaint that alleges a chapter 216 violation and has not been resolved within twelve months "shall be transferred to the Iowa office of civil rights" on any party's request, and a local agency that accepts complaints must tell the person filing that the complaint may be filed with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights instead.

The steps between filing and suit, including how to request a release, are on the Iowa wrongful termination page, which also covers remedies. The Iowa employment discrimination settlement calculator is an estimating tool, not a prediction of any outcome.

Training and written policies

Chapter 216 imposes no harassment-training or written-policy requirement on employers. The Iowa Code's other harassment rules for particular workplaces are narrow:

• State employees: Iowa Code § 19B.12 bars a state employee from discriminating against another state employee "based on sex or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment in a state work, educational, or correctional situation." For that section only, "sexual harassment" means "persistent, repetitive, or highly egregious conduct directed at a specific individual or group of individuals that a reasonable person would interpret as intentional harassment of a sexual nature." The Department of Administrative Services must develop, and all state agencies must distribute "at the time of hiring or orientation," a guide describing the sexual harassment prohibitions and grievance procedures (§ 19B.12(5)). The section "does not supersede the remedies provided under chapter 216" (§ 19B.12(8)). That definition is a rule for state employment, not the test for private employers.
• Minors serving alcohol: an alcohol licensee that employs a 16- or 17-year-old under § 123.49(2)(f) "shall require the person to attend training on prevention and response to sexual harassment upon commencing employment" (§ 123.49(2)(f)(5)). If such an employee reports workplace harassment, or the employer otherwise becomes aware of it, "the employer shall report the incident to the employee's parent, guardian, or legal custodian and to the Iowa office of civil rights, which shall determine if any action is necessary or appropriate under chapter 216" (§ 123.49(2)(f)(4)).

NDAs, confidentiality and arbitration

Chapter 216 contains no provision limiting nondisclosure, confidentiality or arbitration terms in harassment agreements or settlements; its confidentiality text concerns agency staff and mediation. Federal law adds limits for sexual harassment disputes: the Speak Out Act makes nondisclosure and nondisparagement clauses agreed to before a sexual harassment dispute arises judicially unenforceable where the conduct is alleged to violate federal, tribal or state law, and the Ending Forced Arbitration Act lets the person alleging sexual harassment elect court over a predispute arbitration agreement. Both are explained on the workplace harassment laws hub.

Is workplace bullying illegal in Iowa?

Chapter 216 reaches harassment because of the nine traits § 216.6 lists. It contains no provision on general workplace bullying that is unconnected to one of those traits.

Documenting harassment and workplace monitoring

The rules on recording a conversation at work, including a conversation with a harasser, are on the Iowa workplace recording laws page. Employer monitoring of email, devices and workspaces is covered on the Iowa employee monitoring laws page.

Recent changes to Iowa harassment law

• 2025: 2025 Iowa Acts, chapter 1 (S.F. 418) amended § 216.6(1); the current employment section no longer lists gender identity.
• 2026: S.F. 579 (2026 Iowa Acts, chapter 1002), approved March 10, 2026 and effective on enactment, amended § 216.19 so that "A city or local government shall not enact any ordinance or other law which is broader or has different categories of unfair or discriminatory practices than those provided in this chapter." It also ended the requirement that cities of 29,000 or more maintain a local civil rights agency and added transfer and notice rules for local complaints.
• 2026: H.F. 2800 (2026 Iowa Acts, chapter 1200, section 40) amended the same sentence to read "shall not enact or enforce" such an ordinance.

Related pages

• Workplace harassment laws by state
• Iowa wrongful termination
• Iowa at-will employment laws
• Iowa employee monitoring laws
• Iowa workplace recording laws

This article provides general legal information about Iowa workplace harassment law under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, Iowa Code chapter 216, as of 2026-10-20. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Iowa or the Iowa Office of Civil Rights.

Last updated: 2026-10-20.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is workplace harassment illegal in Iowa?

Harassment because of a protected trait that creates or maintains a hostile work environment is unlawful under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The statute has no express harassment clause; the Iowa Supreme Court reads the 'otherwise discriminate in employment' language of Iowa Code § 216.6(1)(a) to reach it (Valdez, 2023).

How many employees does an Iowa employer need to be covered?

The employment section does not apply to an employer that regularly employs fewer than four individuals, and the employer's family members are not counted (§ 216.6(6)(a)). The same threshold applies to harassment and to other discrimination. Some in-home and personal-service employment is also excluded (§ 216.6(6)(b)-(c)), and a bona fide religious institution is exempt for religion or sexual-orientation qualifications related to a bona fide religious purpose (§ 216.6(6)(d)).

What counts as a hostile work environment in Iowa?

The Iowa Supreme Court requires harassment that is severe or pervasive, judged both by the employee's own perception and by whether a reasonable person would find it abusive or hostile (White v. State, 2024). The court has described these claims as involving ongoing and repeated conduct, not isolated events.

How long do I have to file a harassment complaint in Iowa?

A claim under chapter 216 cannot be maintained unless a complaint is filed with the Iowa Office of Civil Rights within 300 days after the alleged practice occurred, except as provided in § 614.8, which gives minors and persons with mental illness extra time (§ 216.15(13)). Under the agency's rules, continuous violations that form a pattern or practice are timely if the most recent act occurred within 300 days (161 IAC 3.2). A lawsuit must be commenced within 90 days after the agency issues a release (§ 216.16(4)).

Can a coworker be personally sued for harassment in Iowa?

Under Valdez (2023), personal liability for a hostile work environment requires authority to correct or prevent the abusive environment, so nonsupervisory coworkers are not individually liable under the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

Is gender identity protected from workplace harassment under Iowa law?

No longer under state law. 2025 Iowa Acts, chapter 1 (S.F. 418) amended § 216.6(1), and the current employment section lists age, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion and disability. Federal law is separate: Title VII covers employers with 15 or more employees, and in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020) the U.S. Supreme Court held that an employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII. See the workplace harassment laws hub.

Does Iowa require harassment training for private employers?

Chapter 216 does not. Elsewhere in the Code, state agencies must give employees a sexual harassment guide at hiring or orientation (§ 19B.12(5)), and alcohol licensees must require sexual harassment prevention training for 16- and 17-year-olds employed to sell or serve alcohol (§ 123.49(2)(f)(5)).

Is it illegal to retaliate against someone for reporting harassment in Iowa?

Section 216.11(2) makes it an unfair practice for any person to discriminate or retaliate against someone who lawfully opposed a practice forbidden by chapter 216 or filed a complaint, testified or assisted in a proceeding under the chapter.