A Guide To Filing A Complaint With California’s DFEH

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Employment discrimination is an unfortunate but common occurrence. While federal and state rules prohibit certain types of discrimination in the workplace, many employees are still subject to them. If you have suffered from discrimination in the workplace, you may be able to file a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). When can you file a DFEH complaint, and how do you go about filing one? We discuss that here.

When Can I File a DFEH Complaint?

California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) offers more protections for employees than the federal law. FEHA protections apply to employees with at least 5 employees and the law is enforced by DFEH. Under FEHA, an employer is not allowed to discriminate against an individual on based on:

If you believe you have faced unlawful discrimination, you can file a complaint with the DFEH. A complaint needs to filed within 3 years of the date in which you faced said discrimination. Below are the steps to do so.

#1 Gather Information

Gather any and all records that you can think of supporting your claim of discrimination, and compile a written narrative detailing it. If, for instance, your boss has terminated you after you turned 60, claiming that people of your age tend to be less competent in the workplace, put that in writing.

#2 Fill in an Intake Form

You can do this online through the Cal Civil Rights System, through mail with a printable form, or by calling the DFEH.

You are strongly advied to consult with a discrimination attorney prior to submitting the complaint as your attorney can help ensure that you have filled in the form properly, and it might be better for you to sue immediately rather than go through an investigation.

#3 Evaluation

The DFEH will now evaluate your form and decide if they will pursue investigations. Here, 2 things can happen:

What Happens Next?

Once the investigation is complete, the DFEH might either