Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Lawyer
Discrimination at work — because of your race, national origin, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation — is illegal. And California may give you as little as 3 years to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$15M
Jury verdict · Hender v. Nike · gender pay discrimination · 2026
$23.5M
Settlement · 150 women · sexual harassment
Prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
Reviewed by Craig J. Ackermann, admitted in California · Bar No. 229832
Workplace discrimination in Los Angeles — by race, national origin, disability, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity — is illegal under California's FEHA. Harassment is covered at any employer size; discrimination claims need 5 or more employees. You have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department, and damages are uncapped.
What discrimination actually looks like — and what the law calls it.
Discrimination is rarely a single dramatic act. It's the pattern — the 'jokes,' the passed-over promotion, the accommodation that never comes, the sudden performance problem after you spoke up. The legal test is whether a protected trait drove how you were treated.
The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to laugh too.
The law calls it → racial or national-origin harassment
- Since I started wearing a hijab, I'm suddenly 'not a culture fit' for client meetings. The law calls it → religious discrimination
- They call me 'grandpa' in standups and gave the project I built to someone half my age. The law calls it → age-based harassment and discrimination (40+)
- I asked for a simple schedule change for my disability. Months later, still nothing — and now I'm 'unreliable.' The law calls it → failure to accommodate a disability
- I reported the slurs to HR. Two weeks later my performance was suddenly a problem. The law calls it → retaliation — illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven, as long as it was made in good faith
- In the cutting room they mock my accent on the sample floor — and pay me less than the guys they don't mock. The law calls it → national-origin discrimination in pay
These cover race and national origin, disability (and accommodations), age (40 and over), religion (and accommodations), sex and pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity — in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations — not client accounts.
What happens after you reach out?
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal. Here's the whole process — and what we handle for you at each step.
- A free, confidential consultation. Usually 15 minutes. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you may have a case and which deadlines apply to you. If we're not the right fit, we say so.
- We build the record. We help you preserve what matters — texts, emails, schedules, reviews, witness names — and identify your available claims under California and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and unforgiving deadlines. We draft and file with the right agency — state, federal, or both — so nothing lapses while you keep living your life.
- We negotiate from strength. Most matters resolve without a trial — through demand letters and negotiated settlements covering lost pay, emotional distress, and — where negotiable — terms addressing references and future employment.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken cases to trial when employers won't make it right. Ask us how fees and case costs work before you decide anything.
How long do you have to file a workplace discrimination claim in Los Angeles?
The controlling clock is 3 years — to file with california’s civil rights agency. Every route has its own deadline, and they start from different events:
California workplace discrimination filing deadlines · last reviewed 2026-06-10
- To file with California’s civil rights agency 3 years
3 years from the unlawful practice to file with CRD (Gov. Code § 12960)
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq. - To file with the federal EEOC 300 days
300 days (California is a deferral state — CRD is the FEPA); for harassment the clock runs from the last incident
eeoc.gov - To sue after the state clears you 1 year
1 year from CRD right-to-sue notice to file civil action (Gov. Code § 12965); right-to-sue notice required before filing your own lawsuit
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.
| Route | Deadline | The fine print | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| To file with California’s civil rights agency | 3 years | 3 years from the unlawful practice to file with CRD (Gov. Code § 12960) | Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq. |
| To file with the federal EEOC | 300 days | 300 days (California is a deferral state — CRD is the FEPA); for harassment the clock runs from the last incident | eeoc.gov |
| To sue after the state clears you | 1 year | 1 year from CRD right-to-sue notice to file civil action (Gov. Code § 12965); right-to-sue notice required before filing your own lawsuit | Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq. |
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.
Covers workplace discrimination claims at employers with 5 or more employees (harassment itself is covered at any size).
Full California workplace discrimination law: deadlines, damages & agencies →What mistakes end Los Angeles cases before they start?
- Three years with the CRD sounds like forever — until the federal 300-day EEOC clock quietly closes the Title VII route while you wait.
- The CRD right-to-sue notice starts a hard one-year countdown to file in LA County Superior Court.
- Discrimination claims need 5+ employees under FEHA; the harassment side of your case may be covered at any size — two different doors.
- In entertainment and gig-heavy LA work, project end-dates blur the clock — the deadline runs from the discriminatory act, not your last call sheet.
Where do workplace discrimination claims arise in Los Angeles?
The law protects workers across industries — and these are real, public enforcement actions in and around Los Angeles, not hypotheticals. LA's signature industries map onto the EEOC's harassment risk factors: power-imbalanced creative workplaces, tipped hospitality work, isolated hotel housekeeping, and decentralized logistics.
- Race / national origin / disability (hiring) EEOC v. BaronHR, LLC (C.D. Cal.): $2.2 million consent decree (2024) over allegations the staffing agency failed to recruit or refer workers for low-skill jobs based on race (Black, Asian, white) and national origin (non-Hispanic), steered candidates by sex, and screened out workers with disabilities. source ↗
These are government enforcement actions by the EEOC — not this firm's cases. They show how the law is enforced locally; results vary with the facts.
Where do you file a workplace discrimination claim in Los Angeles?
State · CRDCalifornia Civil Rights Department
320 West 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(800) 884-1684
Filing is CENTRALIZED statewide: online via California Civil Rights System (CCRS), phone 800-884-1684, 711 relay, TTY 1-800-700-2320, email contact.
File online →Federal · EEOCEEOC Los Angeles District Office
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 785-3090
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday EEOC Public Portal →
CourtLos Angeles County Superior Court
111 North Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 830-0800
The filing path, step by step
- Document the pattern — comments, pay records, accommodation requests, who was promoted. California gives more time, but evidence fades.
- File with the California Civil Rights Department within 3 years — online via CCRS or through the LA office (320 W 4th St). Filing is centralized.
- Or file with the EEOC within 300 days at the Roybal Federal Building (255 E Temple St) — charges dual-file.
- After a CRD right-to-sue notice: 1 year to sue — LA County Superior Court (Stanley Mosk), federal in the Central District of California.
Real verdicts and recoveries in workplace harassment and discrimination cases.
$15 million
1 plaintiff · Gender pay & promotion discrimination — jury verdict (punitive damages under federal + Oregon law)
Athletic apparel · 2026
$1.3 million
19 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2021
$1 million
27 Black construction workers · Racial harassment (hostile work environment)
Construction · 2020
$725,000
14 individuals · Racial harassment (14 individual arbitrations)
Manufacturing (paint) · 2025
Dozens of additional sexual harassment matters resolved in the $100,000–$400,000 range.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The attorney behind this page.
You'll talk to real people at our firm — not a call center. This page is reviewed by an attorney licensed in California.
Craig J. Ackermann
CALIFORNIA BAR NO. 229832
Craig Ackermann focuses on sexual and racial harassment cases, with more than two decades of employment law and class action experience.
Full bio →Our firm represents employees in Los Angeles through attorneys licensed in California. We maintain physical offices in Beverly Hills, California and Tacoma, Washington. We do not maintain a physical office in Los Angeles unless expressly stated. Consultations may be available by phone, video, or by arrangement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Also from our Los Angeles team
Facing sexual harassment instead — or both? Los Angeles sexual harassment guide →
Asked by Los Angeles workers.
I'm mocked for my accent and paid less at an LA garment shop — is that discrimination?
Likely. FEHA bars national-origin discrimination and harassment — accent mockery, slurs, and English-only rules without business necessity — and harassment is covered at any employer size. LA's garment and manufacturing sector is a recognized risk environment. You have 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department; damages are uncapped.
At 52 I can't get staffed in LA entertainment — 'too old' — is that age discrimination?
It can be. FEHA protects workers 40 and older (discrimination claims need 5+ employees). In entertainment, age-coded 'fresh' or 'demo' language and sudden exclusion can be evidence. California gives 3 years to file with the Civil Rights Department, with no cap on damages and attorney's fees.
My LA hospital won't accommodate my disability — what are my rights?
FEHA makes California employers with 5 or more employees work with you in good faith toward a reasonable accommodation — a modified schedule, adjusted duties, or leave — a duty broader than the federal ADA's. Disability harassment is covered at any size. File with the Civil Rights Department within 3 years; damages are uncapped.
Can my LA employer deny my religious head covering or Sabbath?
Usually not. FEHA requires accommodating religious dress, grooming, and observance unless it's an undue hardship — stronger than federal law. Religious harassment is illegal at any employer size. File with the Civil Rights Department within 3 years; remedies include uncapped damages and fees.
Talk to a team that has stood up for workers for decades.
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