Were you discriminated against at work in San Francisco?
Being treated worse because of who you are, in pay, promotion, discipline, scheduling or termination, may be unlawful. Retaliation after you objected or reported it may be unlawful too.
If your workplace rights were violated, you may be able to pursue compensation for lost pay or emotional harm, and hold your employer accountable.
Not sure whether it was "serious enough"? You can request a review even if you never reported it to HR or are still employed.
What discrimination actually looks like, and what the law calls it.
Discrimination is rarely a single dramatic act. It's the pattern, the 'jokes,' the passed-over promotion, the accommodation that never comes, the sudden performance problem after you spoke up. The legal test is whether a protected trait drove how you were treated.
The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to laugh too.
The law calls it → racial or national-origin harassment
- Since I started wearing a hijab, I'm suddenly 'not a culture fit' for client meetings. The law calls it → religious discrimination
- They call me 'grandpa' in standups and gave the project I built to someone half my age. The law calls it → age-based harassment and discrimination (40+)
- I asked for a simple schedule change for my disability. Months later, still nothing, and now I'm 'unreliable.' The law calls it → failure to accommodate a disability
- I reported the slurs to HR. Two weeks later my performance was suddenly a problem. The law calls it → retaliation, illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven, as long as it was made in good faith
- After I disclosed a disability and asked for a modified schedule, my SoMa startup 'reorganized' my role away. The law calls it → disability discrimination / failure to accommodate
These cover race and national origin, disability (and accommodations), age (40 and over), religion (and accommodations), sex and pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations, not client accounts.
Workplace discrimination in San Francisco, because of race, national origin, disability, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, violates California's FEHA. Harassment is covered at any employer size; discrimination claims need five or more employees. You have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department, and state-law damages are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule.
What could taking action help you pursue?
Depending on the facts, legal action may help recover financial losses, address emotional harm, restore employment opportunities, or require workplace changes. Available remedies depend on the facts and applicable law; no outcome is guaranteed.
Recover what you lost
Lost pay, benefits, hours, and employment opportunities tied to the unlawful conduct.
Address the harm
Compensation for emotional distress may be available where the law provides for it.
Restore an opportunity
Some cases may involve reinstatement, promotion, corrected records, or another job-related remedy.
Create accountability
A resolution may include policy changes, training, or other corrective workplace action.
You do not need a perfect record, or even to know whether what happened was illegal, before asking what your options are.
Common concerns we hear from employees
I never reported it to HR.
You may still have legal options. Not reporting immediately does not automatically end your rights, although the specific facts can affect a claim.
I don't have screenshots or witnesses.
You do not need a complete evidence file before contacting us. We can help identify texts, emails, schedules, witnesses, and other evidence that may matter.
I still work there.
You can ask questions while still employed. Retaliating against a worker for opposing unlawful conduct or asserting protected rights may itself be unlawful.
It was a customer or client, not a coworker.
In some circumstances, an employer may be responsible for the conduct of supervisors, coworkers, customers, clients, or other third parties.
Craig J. Ackermann
Shareholder · Admitted in California
Craig Ackermann represents California employees in wage-and-hour class actions, sexual and racial harassment, discrimination, and retaliation matters. He is licensed in California, Washington, and Texas.
Read Craig's full bio →Real verdicts and recoveries in harassment and discrimination cases.
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination, jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Jury verdict, subject to post-trial proceedings. Not a settlement or a collected recovery.
$1.3 million
19 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
$1 million
27 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
$725,000
14 individuals · Racial harassment (14 individual arbitrations)
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal.
- 01
Talk with us
A short initial conversation about what happened and when.
- 02
We assess the record
We identify possible claims, deadlines and evidence that may matter.
- 03
If we take the case
We handle the filing strategy, negotiations and litigation.
Deadlines can depend on where and how you file
California and federal claims may follow different filing routes. These are general time limits, not sequential steps.
Generally, to file an employment-discrimination or harassment complaint with California's Civil Rights Department.
CRD, Employment ↗Often, to file an EEOC charge when the claim is also covered by state or local anti-discrimination law.
EEOC, How to File a Charge ↗Generally, to file a lawsuit after receiving a California CRD right-to-sue notice.
CRD, Obtain a Right to Sue ↗Other claims and exceptions may have different or shorter deadlines. Contact counsel promptly so the applicable dates can be reviewed.
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.
Primary source, Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq. ↗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.
Deadlines and filing issues for workers in San Francisco.
- The 3-year CRD window doesn't stop the 300-day federal EEOC clock, if your Title VII claim matters, the shorter deadline governs.
- The CRD right-to-sue notice opens a strict 1-year window to file at the Civic Center Courthouse.
- FEHA's 5-employee floor applies to discrimination; a San Francisco micro-startup may still owe you for harassment, which is covered at any size.
- In tech, 'restructuring' and 'not a culture add' can mask age or disability bias, the clock runs from the decision, not your last day on payroll.
Local filing and enforcement information for San Francisco workers.
The sources below are public agency actions and filing information, not this firm's cases. They illustrate how claims have been handled and do not predict the outcome of another matter.
- Technology, age & national origin (Bay Area) EEOC v. HCL America (N.D. Cal.): a $495,000 consent decree approved in 2026 resolved allegations that the IT services company rejected a qualified applicant for a Bay Area sales director role as 'too old' and discriminated based on national origin. The EEOC's San Francisco District Office handled the case. official source ↗
These are public government enforcement actions by the EEOC, not this firm's cases. Agency and state filing routes for San Francisco follow below.
Where do you file a workplace discrimination claim in San Francisco?
California Civil Rights Department
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 online →EEOC San Francisco District Office
Phillip Burton Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 5th Floor West, Suite 2524San Francisco, CA 94102
(800) 669-4000 EEOC Public Portal →
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco
Civic Center Courthouse400 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
The filing path, step by step
- 1Build the record, pay data, performance reviews, accommodation requests, and who was promoted over you. Bay Area job-hopping scatters witnesses quickly.
- 2File with the California Civil Rights Department within 3 years, online through CCRS or by phone (800-884-1684). Filing is centralized statewide.
- 3Or file with the EEOC within 300 days at the San Francisco District Office (450 Golden Gate Avenue), charges dual-file.
- 4After a CRD right-to-sue notice: 1 year to sue at the Civic Center Courthouse; federal claims go to the Northern District of California.
Employment discrimination information in other California cities
- FresnoEmployment-discrimination information
- Long BeachEmployment-discrimination information
- Los AngelesEmployment-discrimination information
- Orange CountyEmployment-discrimination information
- RiversideEmployment-discrimination information
- SacramentoEmployment-discrimination information
Asked by San Francisco workers.
At 51 I was passed over at an SF tech company for someone 'earlier in their career', is that age discrimination?
It can be. FEHA protects workers 40 and older (discrimination claims need 5+ employees). Age-coded language like 'digital native,' 'fresh,' or 'culture add,' plus watching recent grads leapfrog you, can be evidence. You have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department, and state-law damages are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule.
I'm mocked for my accent at a San Francisco restaurant and skipped for better shifts, is that discrimination?
Likely. FEHA bars national-origin harassment (any employer size) and discrimination (5+), accent mockery, slurs, and English-only rules without business necessity. San Francisco's hospitality economy runs on immigrant labor. File with the Civil Rights Department within 3 years; state-law damages are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule.
My SF hospital won't accommodate my disability, what are my rights?
FEHA requires California employers with 5 or more employees to engage in a good-faith interactive process and reasonably accommodate you, a modified schedule, adjusted duties, or leave, a duty broader than the federal ADA. Disability harassment is covered at any size. File within 3 years; state-law damages are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule.
Can my San Francisco employer deny my religious dress or observance?
Usually not. FEHA requires accommodating religious dress, grooming, and observance unless it causes undue hardship, a stronger standard than federal law. Religious harassment is prohibited at any employer size. File with the Civil Rights Department within 3 years; remedies are not subject to the federal Title VII cap schedule, plus fees.