To report workplace discrimination or harassment with the California Civil Rights department (CRD), click here. Alternatively, you can file a complaint by mail or call the CRD at 800-884-1684.
It is recommended you consult with a labor law attorney before filing a complaint. Attorneys are skilled in how to compose complaints to maximize the odds of success.
In our experience, it may be best to skip over the complaint process and let us mail your employer a strongly-worded demand letter. We find that once employers see you are lawyered up, they are more likely to negotiate a favorable resolution. In most cases, we can win you a large settlement without having to go to trial.
The Office also handles some retaliation claims. For instance, employers cannot fire, demote, reduce your pay, or suspend you just for filing a labor complaint. (Learn about whistleblower retaliation.)
You are not limited to filing wage and hour complaints with just the Labor Commission in California. If you have a legitimate wage/hour complaint, you can also raise these complaints by:
In order to follow up on your complaint, we may need to share the information you give us with the business you complained about or with other government agencies. This may include sharing personal information you gave us.
CSLB addresses violations of California Contractors License Law, whether the contractor is licensed or unlicensed, for up to four years from the date of the act. CSLB is a regulatory board with authority to investigate and take administrative disciplinary action against licensed and unlicensed persons and entities for violations of Contractors State License Law.
Each state department has an obligation to actively prevent unlawful discrimination, and to take immediate and effective action to eliminate it when it is discovered. This includes administering non-discrimination policies and procedures and a discrimination complaint filing process. Each department's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer is responsible for administering the EEO program and for assisting department employees with civil rights issues, including discrimination complaints.
You may call our Whistleblower Hotline at (800) 952-5665 to file a complaint by talking to one of the State Auditor's employees. The hotline generally is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you call when the hotline is not being staffed, or staff is occupied with other calls, you may leave a voicemail message requesting a returncall.
California businesses that receive one of these fraudulent solicitation letters or that have paid the company and received a fraudulent certificate should submit a written complaint along with the entire solicitation (including the solicitation letter, the outer and return envelopes, all related documents if available, and a copy of the fraudulent certificate) to the California Attorney General, Public Inquiry Unit, P.O. Box 944255, Sacramento, California 94244-2550. A complaint form, which can be completed online and printed to mail, is available on the California Attorney General's website
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is committed to ensuring applicants and recipients in its programs or entities are treated fairly and equally. The CDSS Civil Rights Unit (CRU) oversees compliance with civil rights laws and regulations of CDSS funded programs and entities that are administered by California county welfare departments. A primary duty of the CRU is to receive and assess discrimination and retaliation complaints. We oversee all discrimination and retaliation complaints regarding CDSS funded public assistance and social service programs administered through county welfare departments. Common covered programs include CalFresh, CalWORKs, IHSS, and CPS. CRU does not represent individuals filing complaints.
If an investigation is necessary, a neutral county employee will investigate the complaint. Investigators are neutral, meaning they were not involved in the alleged discrimination, do not supervise an employee that was involved with the alleged discrimination, or do not have a conflict of interest in carrying out their regular duties or responsibilities within the county. (See FAQ above, Who Investigates Civil Rights Complaints?).
After the investigation, the investigator writes an investigation report. The investigation report must address all issues raised in the complaint and determine whether discrimination occurred. The investigation report is then sent to the CDSS Civil Rights Unit for our review, to be sure that the investigation was completed based on our regulations, and that the report outcomes comply with civil rights laws and regulations. The CDSS Civil Rights Unit must approve the investigation report before the case can be closed by the county welfare department.
If your discrimination complaint is regarding CalFresh and involves complaints that allege discrimination based on race, color, national origin, political affiliation, religion, sex, age, or disability, you may file an appeal with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) within 30 calendar days of the date of the written letter informing you about the outcome of your complaint.
For all other programs besides CalFresh and that receives funding from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is a complaint based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, and, in some cases, religion, you may file your complaint with HHS within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act (unless extended by HHS).
(1) If you want to file with your local county Civil Rights Coordinator, find the contact information of the Civil Rights Coordinator for your county at this site: County Civil Rights Coordinator Directory. You can submit your complaint in writing, by phone, or by email.
If you feel uncomfortable with filing a complaint with your local county office, you can file your discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Unit. The Civil Rights Unit does not investigate complaints, but they can help identify someone in the county who can investigate.
Yes, you may file your complaint anonymously with either your local county Civil Rights Coordinator or the CDSS Civil Rights Unit If you choose to do this, please understand that whomever you file your complaint with will not be able to contact you for additional information or tell you about the findings. An anonymous complaint should contain as much detail as possible. See question below on what your complaint should contain. If the complaint is vague or unclear, it could slow or even stop the investigation.
If an employee or applicant feels they have been discriminated against on the basis of a known disability during the RA process, they may file a written complaint within three years from the date of the act, omission, event, decision, or policy denial with:
(2) The division may, with or without receiving a complaint, commence investigating an employer, in accordance with this section, that it suspects to have discharged or otherwise discriminated against an individual in violation of any law under the jurisdiction of the Labor Commissioner. The division may proceed without a complaint in those instances where suspected retaliation has occurred during the course of adjudicating a wage claim pursuant to Section 98, or during a field inspection pursuant to Section 90.5, in accordance with this section, or in instances of suspected immigration-related threats in violation of Section 244, 1019, or 1019.1.
Even if we do not take any formal action, your complaint provides us with valuable information, helping us find issues affecting multiple people or communities, and helping us understand emerging trends and topics.
If an individual or organization appears to have violated the laws within the Board's jurisdiction, Board staff will investigate the allegations and charges may be filed. The following are the types of complaints reviewed by the Board:
In 1986, Congress enacted the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) to ensure public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. Section 1867 of the Social Security Act imposes specific obligations on Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services to provide a medical screening examination (MSE) when a request is made for examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition (EMC), including active labor, regardless of an individual's ability to pay. Hospitals are then required to provide stabilizing treatment for patients with EMCs. If a hospital is unable to stabilize a patient within its capability, or if the patient requests, an appropriate transfer should be implemented.
For over 25 years, CDF has distinguished itself as one of the top employment, labor and immigration firms in California, representing employers in single-plaintiff and class action lawsuits and advising employers on related legal compliance and risk avoidance. We cover the state, with five locations from Sacramento to San Diego.
Some labor board offices with the California Department of Labor require you to fill out another form along with your wage claim. This form, which we call the Overtime and Meal Period Calculation Form, can be found here. This form is very difficult to fill out.
Most people need a lawyer to file a civil court wage claim. The process includes drafting a complaint and filing it with the clerk of the superior court for the county in which you performed work for the defendant-employer. You may also file for unpaid wages in the United States District Court for the district in which you performed work for the defendant-employer.
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