Summary of State of California Laws
Links to Department of Fair Employment & Housing website:
State of California EEOC website: www.dfeh.ca.gov
Publications and Documents: www.dfeh.ca.gov/DFEH/Publications/Default.aspx
Contact State of California Department of Fair Employment & Housing: www.dfeh.ca.gov/DFEH/contact/Default.aspx
Telephone: 1-800-884-1684
Summary of State of California Laws:
The Fair Employment and Housing Act specifies:
· Prohibits discrimination in all aspects of employment including hiring, termination and terms and conditions.
· Prohibits harassment of employees or applicants and requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment from occurring.
· Requires that all employers provide information to each of their employees describing the forms of sexual harassment, its illegality, the internal and external complaint processes and legal remedies.
· Requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees or job applicants with disabilities in order to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job.
· Requires employers to provide leaves of up to four months to employees disabled because of pregnancy or childbirth.
· Requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodations requested by an employee, with the advice of her health care provider, related to her pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
· Requires employers of 50 or more persons in a 75 mile radius to allow eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks leave in a 12-month period for the birth of a child, the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, for an employee's own serious health condition, or to care for a parent, spouse, or child with a serious health condition. (Employers are required to post a notice informing employees of their family and medical leave rights.)
· Requires employment agencies to serve all applicants equally; to refuse discriminatory job orders; to refrain from prohibited pre-employment inquiries or advertising.
· Prohibits discrimination by unions in membership or employment referrals.
· Prohibits retaliation against any person who has filed a complaint with the Department, participated in a Department investigation or opposed any activity prohibited by the Act.
The law provides for a variety of remedies, which may include:
· Hiring
· Back Pay
· Promotion
· Reinstatement
· Cease and Desist Orders
· Damages for Emotional Distress
· Reasonable Attorneys Fees and Costs
· Expert Witness Fees
· Administrative Fines and Court Ordered Punitive Damages
Persons who believe they have experienced employment discrimination may file a DFEH complaint.
Complaints must be filed within one year from the date of the alleged discrimination.
Updated 10/08/2009