Were you discriminated against at work in California?
The Fair Employment and Housing Act may protect employees from workplace discrimination and retaliation. Deadlines, filing routes, and available remedies depend on what happened and which law applies.
You can request a review even if you are not sure whether the conduct legally qualifies, never reported it to HR, or still work for the employer.
Updated August 2026
- Harassment or different treatment tied to race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, national origin, or another protected trait
- Being passed over, disciplined, or fired for a protected reason
- A denied accommodation or protected leave issue
- Retaliation after reporting discrimination
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits workplace discrimination and harassment because of race, national origin, disability, age (40+), religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Harassment is covered at employers of ANY size; discrimination claims need 5+ employees. Workers have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department, and state-law damages are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule.
Employment discrimination information by city in California
Select your city for locally relevant filing information, agency routes, and a case review with your state already selected.
- FresnoEmployment-discrimination information
- Long BeachEmployment-discrimination information
- Los AngelesEmployment-discrimination information
- Orange CountyEmployment-discrimination information
- RiversideEmployment-discrimination information
- SacramentoEmployment-discrimination information
- San BernardinoEmployment-discrimination information
- San DiegoEmployment-discrimination information
- San FranciscoEmployment-discrimination information
- San JoseEmployment-discrimination information
California at a glance.
- Statute
- Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.
- Harassment covered at
- 1 or more employees (Gov. Code § 12940(j)).
More detail
The Civil Rights Department applies harassment protection in all workplaces, even those with fewer than five employees, and it also covers applicants, unpaid interns, volunteers, and contractors. - Discrimination covered at
- 5+ employees for discrimination (Gov. Code § 12926(d))
- State agency deadline
- 3 years from the unlawful practice to file with CRD (Gov. Code § 12960)
- Federal EEOC deadline
- 300 days (California is a deferral state, CRD is the FEPA)
More detail
for harassment the clock runs from the last incident - After right-to-sue
- 1 year from CRD right-to-sue notice to file civil action (Gov. Code § 12965)
More detail
right-to-sue notice required before filing your own lawsuit - Damages
- FEHA does not adopt Title VII's $50,000-$300,000 compensatory-and-punitive cap schedule
More detail
available remedies depend on the claim and proof - State agency
- California Civil Rights Department (CRD)
What may be available under the Fair Employment and Housing Act.
- FEHA does not adopt Title VII's $50,000-$300,000 compensatory-and-punitive cap schedule; available remedies depend on the claim and proof
- Back pay and front pay
- Hiring / reinstatement / promotion
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Emotional distress damages
- Punitive damages
- Attorney's fees and costs including expert witness fees (Gov. Code § 12965; prevailing defendants recover only if action was frivolous)
- Harassment covered at ALL employer sizes (1+) including for contractors, interns, volunteers (§ 12940(j))
- Employer liable for nonemployee (customer/client) harassment where it knew or should have known and failed to act
- Statute current through SB 1100 (Stats. 2024, Ch. 877, eff. Jan. 1, 2025); SB 477 tolling changes eff. Jan. 1, 2026
Discrimination by protected ground in California.
Coverage thresholds and deadlines differ by ground. Each one below is a separate claim, and an employer can violate more than one at once.
Race & national origin
Disability
Age (40+)
Religion
Sexual orientation & gender identity
Retaliation
Where to file in California.
Los Angeles Office
320 West 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90013
(800) 884-1684
Riverside Office
1325 Spruce Street, Suite 320Riverside, CA 92507
(800) 884-1684
Filing is CENTRALIZED statewide: online via California Civil Rights System (CCRS), phone 800-884-1684, 711 relay, TTY 1-800-700-2320, email contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov, or mail to HQ. CRD HQ/mailing is 651 Bannon Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95811.
File with CRD ↗Deadlines are shorter than most people expect. Share what happened in about two minutes. The firm will review your submission and contact you about possible options and next steps. There is no cost or obligation to request a review.
Guides for California workplace discrimination.
The same conduct can break more than one law.
What happened to you in California may also amount to a separate claim, with its own protections and its own deadlines. Each of these is worth checking before anything lapses.
Common questions.
What's the difference between the harassment and discrimination thresholds in California?
FEHA covers harassment at employers with even one employee, but discrimination claims (like a discriminatory firing or failure to accommodate) require five or more. Both run on the same 3-year filing window with the Civil Rights Department, and neither caps damages.
How long do I have to file a discrimination claim in California?
Three years from the discriminatory act to file with the California Civil Rights Department, one of the longer state-agency windows in the country. After a right-to-sue notice, you have one year to file in court. The federal EEOC window is shorter at 300 days.