California Law Prohibits Workplace Discrimination and Harassment

1. The law prohibits harassment of employees, applicants, unpaid interns, volunteers, and independent contractors by any person. This includes a prohibition against harassment based on any characteristic listed in this poster, including sexual harassment. The law prohibits harassment based on a single protected characteristic or a combination of two or more protected characteristics.
2. All employers must take reasonable steps to prevent all forms of harassment, and they must provide each employee with information about the illegal nature of sexual harassment and available legal remedies.
3. Employers with five or more employees and public employers must train their employees regarding the prevention of sexual harassment, including harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

1. California law prohibits employers with five or more employees and public employers from discriminating based on any protected characteristic listed in this poster when making decisions about hiring, promotion, pay, benefits, terms of employment, layoffs, and other aspects of employment. The law prohibits discrimination based on a single protected characteristic or a combination of two or more protected characteristics.
2. Employers cannot limit or prohibit the use of any language in any workplace unless justified by business necessity. The employer must notify employees of the language restriction and consequences for violation.
3. Employers cannot discriminate against an applicant or employee because they possess a California driver’s license or ID issued to an undocumented person.
4. Employers must reasonably accommodate the religious beliefs and practices of an employee, unpaid intern, or job applicant, including the wearing of clothing, jewelry, and facial or body hair that are part of an individual’s observance of their religious beliefs.
5. Employers must reasonably accommodate an employee or job applicant with a disability to enable them to perform the essential functions of a job. 6. Employers cannot discriminate or retaliate against an employee because of their status, or because of their family member’s status, as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and certain other types of violence — as long as the employer knows of this status. Employers must also provide such employees safety-related reasonable accommodations.

California law offers additional protections to those who work for employers with five or more employees. Some exceptions may apply. These additional protections include:

1. Specific protections and hiring procedures for people with criminal histories who are looking for employment protections against discrimination based on an employee or job applicant’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.
2. Up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to eligible employees to care for themselves, a family member (child of any age, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, sibling) or a designated person (with blood or family-like relationship to employee); to bond with a new child; or for certain urgent military needs
3. Up to five days of job-protected bereavement leave within three months of the death of a family member (child, spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, or parent-in-law)
4. Up to four months of job-protected leave to employees disabled because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, as well as the right to reasonable accommodations, on the advice of their health care provider, related to their pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition
5. Up to five days of job-protected leave following a reproductive loss event (failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, stillbirth, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction)
6. Protections for an employee who takes time off work to serve on a jury, if they have given reasonable notice to the employer, or to testify in court
7. Protections for an employee who takes time off work to go to court or seek legal relief (such as a restraining order) after they are the victim of a crime or certain types of violence
8. Protections against retaliation when a person opposes, reports, or assists another person to oppose unlawful discrimination, including filing an internal complaint or a complaint with CRD

1. The law provides remedies for individuals who experience prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in the workplace. These remedies can include hiring, front pay, back pay, promotion, reinstatement, cease-and-desist orders, expert witness fees, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, punitive damages, and emotional distress damages.
2. If you believe you have experienced discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, you may file a complaint with CRD. Independent contractors and volunteers: If you believe you have been harassed, you may file a complaint with CRD.
3. Complaints must be filed within three years of the last act of discrimination/harassment/retaliation. For those who are under the age of 18, complaints must be filed within three years after the last act of discrimination/harassment/ retaliation or one year after their eighteenth birthday, whichever is later.