California Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Poster Mandatory

CALIFORNIA LAW PROHIBITS WORKPLACE 	
DISCRIMINATION & HARASSMENT
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) enforces laws 
that protect you from illegal discrimination and harassment 
in employment based on your actual or perceived:
•	 	 ANCESTRY
•	
 	AGE 	(40 and above)	
•	 	COLOR
•	
 	DISABILITY 	(physical, developmental, mental health/psychiatric, HIV and AIDS)	
•	 	GENETIC INFORMATION
•	
 	GENDER EXPRESSION
•	
 	GENDER IDENTITY
•	
 	MARITAL STATUS
•	
 	MEDICAL CONDITION	 (genetic characteristics, cancer, or a record or  
history of cancer)	
•	 	MILITARY OR VETERAN STATUS
•	
 	NATIONAL ORIGIN 	(includes language restrictions and possession of a 
driver’s license issued to undocumented immigrants)	
•	 	RACE 	(includes hair texture and hairstyles)	
•	 	 RELIGION 	(includes religious dress and grooming practices)	
•	 	REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH DECISIONMAKING 
•	
 	 SEX/GENDER	 (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding  
and/or related medical conditions)	
•	 	SEXUAL ORIENTATION

CALIFORNIA LAW 
PROHIBITS WORKPLACE 
DISCRIMINATION & HARASSMENT
THE CALIFORNIA FAIR EMPLOYMENT 
AND HOUSING ACT AND ITS 
IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS 
PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS AT WORK. 	
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 above, such as sexual 
harassment, gender harassment, and harassment based on 
pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and/or related medical 
conditions. 
2.
 All employers are required to take reasonable steps to prevent 
all forms of harassment, as well as provide information to each 
of their employees on the nature, illegality, and legal remedies 
that apply to sexual harassment. 
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.	
DISCRIMINATION/REASONABLE 
ACCOMMODATIONS
1. California law prohibits employers with five or more employees 
and public employers from discriminating based on any 
protected characteristic listed above when making decisions 
about hiring, promotion, pay, benefits, terms of employment, 
layoffs, and other aspects of employment. 
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 or carrying of religious clothing, jewelry 
or artifacts, and hairstyles, facial hair, or body hair, which 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. 	
ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS
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 
2.
 Protections against discrimination based on an employee or 
job applicant’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the 
workplace   3.	
 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 military exigencies 
4.
 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)  
5.  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 
6.  Up to five days of job-protected leave following a reproductive 
loss e

vent (failed adoption, failed surrogacy, miscarriage, 
stillbirth, or unsuccessful assisted reproduction)  
7.   Protections against retaliation when a person opposes, 
repor

ts, or assists another person to oppose unlawful 
discrimination, including filing an internal complaint or a 
complaint with CRD 	
REMEDIES/FILING A COMPLAINT
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 re

taliation, 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/re

taliation. 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. 
If you have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, 
or r	
 etaliation at work, file a complaint with the Civil Rights 
Department (CRD) .
TO FILE A COMPLAINT
Civil Rights Department
calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess 
Toll Free: 800.884.1684 / TTY: 800.700.2320 
California Relay Service (711) 
Have a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation? 
CRD can assist you with your complaint.
The Fair Employment and Housing Act is codified at Government 
Code sections 12900 -12999. The regulations implementing 
the Act are at Code of Regulations, title 2, division 4.1
Government Code section 12950 and California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 
1
 1023, require all employers to post this document. It must be conspicuously posted 
in hiring offices, on employee bulletin boards, in employment agency waiting rooms, 
union halls, and other places employees gather. Any employer whose workforce at 
any facility or establishment consists of more than 10% of non-English speaking 
persons must also post this notice in the appropriate language or languages. 	
For translations of this guidance, visit:  www.calcivilrights.ca.gov/posters/required	CRD-E07P-ENG  / January 2024