Employment Discrimination Attorneys · Los Angeles, California
You Deserve to Be Judged on Your Work — Not Who You Are.
California law prohibits employers from treating you differently because of your race, age, sex, disability, pregnancy, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. If any of these characteristics played a role in how you were hired, paid, promoted, or fired — that's discrimination. Our Los Angeles employment attorneys fight exclusively for employees.
$30M+ recovered for California workers · Free consultation · No fee unless we win
Two Ways Discrimination Can Happen — Both Are Illegal
California's FEHA (Fair Employment and Housing Act) covers every aspect of employment — hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, assignments, and termination. Discrimination doesn't have to be obvious or stated outright. It can be the promotion that never came, the performance review that changed after you took leave, or the hiring process that found reasons to reject qualified applicants from a certain group.
Disparate Treatment — Intentional Discrimination
You were treated differently from other employees in similar situations because of who you are. A less-qualified candidate outside your protected class got the promotion. You were fired while coworkers with the same performance record were kept. You were disciplined for something others do without consequence. The test is simple: would this have happened to someone outside your protected class in the same situation?
Proving disparate treatment means showing the 'similarly situated' comparator — someone like you in every relevant way, except for the protected characteristic.
Disparate Impact — Unintentional But Equally Illegal
A policy that looks neutral on the surface but disproportionately harms a protected group — without legitimate business justification. A height/weight requirement that screens out women or Asian applicants. A criminal background check policy that disproportionately excludes Black applicants. A workforce reduction that systematically eliminates employees over 50. Intent doesn't matter — the impact does, and the burden shifts to the employer to justify it.
Disparate impact claims often require statistical analysis — something our attorneys know how to build and present.
6 Situations People Don't Realize Count as Discrimination
Discrimination is subtle. It's not always about what's said — it's often about what's done, what's withheld, and the patterns you can see when you step back and compare.
Not Getting the Promotion Despite Being Most Qualified
You consistently received strong reviews, met every qualification, and were passed over for promotion in favor of someone outside your protected class with less experience. The pattern of who gets promoted — and who doesn't — tells the story that no one will say out loud.
Different Standards in Performance Reviews
Employees in protected classes are often held to a higher standard in evaluations, given less constructive feedback, or written up for conduct that similarly-situated employees outside their protected class do without consequence. Inconsistent discipline standards are strong evidence of discrimination.
Hostile Work Environment Based on a Protected Characteristic
Severe or pervasive comments, jokes, slurs, or exclusion based on your race, national origin, religion, age, disability, or other protected characteristic — even if no single incident constitutes termination — can create an actionable hostile work environment under FEHA.
Pay Disparities Correlated with a Protected Characteristic
Being paid less than coworkers who are similarly qualified and in the same role, when the difference aligns with a protected characteristic (sex, race, national origin), violates California's Equal Pay Act — one of the strongest in the country.
Denied Reasonable Accommodation
Employees with disabilities, pregnancy, or sincere religious beliefs have the right to reasonable accommodations. If your employer refused without a good-faith interactive process or legitimate undue hardship justification, that refusal is itself a form of discrimination.
Discriminatory Questions During Hiring
Questions about your age, national origin, religion, pregnancy plans, disability, or marital status during an interview are illegal. If you were rejected after such questions were asked, there is a strong basis for a pre-hiring discrimination claim — even without direct admission of discriminatory motive.
Signs Your Case May Be Strong
These markers indicate you likely have a viable discrimination claim. The more you can identify, the stronger your position.
You were treated differently from employees outside your protected class in the same or similar situation
The adverse action (termination, demotion, poor review) came after you disclosed a protected characteristic (pregnancy, disability, religion)
The reasons given for the adverse action keep changing or don't hold up to scrutiny
Other employees or former employees experienced the same discriminatory treatment from the same supervisor or company
You have a documented history of strong performance that suddenly declined in evaluations after a protected event
You were denied promotion, accommodation, or equal pay despite meeting all stated requirements
Discriminatory comments, slurs, or jokes were made about your protected characteristic by supervisors or coworkers
The adverse action happened within weeks or months of disclosing a protected status or taking protected leave
Discrimination is often subtle and hard to see from the inside. Many people question whether it 'really' happened. If something feels off — if you were treated differently in a way you can't explain by your performance — it's worth a conversation. The consultation is free.
Why California Is the Strongest State in the Country for Discrimination Claims
California's FEHA provides protections that go well beyond federal Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA in virtually every category.
More employers covered
FEHA covers employers with 5+ employees for most claims. For harassment claims, FEHA covers ALL employers regardless of size — even a company with 1 employee. Federal Title VII requires 15 employees. No California worker is too small a company to be protected.
3-year statute of limitations
Since SB 807 in 2020, California employees have 3 years from the last discriminatory act to file with the Civil Rights Department. Federal claims under Title VII must be filed within 300 days — less than a year. California gives you far more time to build a case.
No cap on damages
Unlike Title VII — which caps compensatory and punitive damages based on employer size — FEHA places no cap. Severe discrimination cases in California can result in multimillion-dollar recoveries. Federal law caps recovery at $300,000 for the largest employers.
More protected characteristics
FEHA explicitly protects sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, medical condition, and genetic information — characteristics that federal law either doesn't protect or protects less clearly. California workers have broader coverage.
Attorney's fees if you win
If you prevail on a FEHA claim, your employer pays your attorney's fees in addition to your damages. This is what makes it financially viable for employees to pursue cases through litigation — you bear no out-of-pocket cost regardless of the outcome.
Broader definition of disability
California's definition of disability is broader than the ADA's, covering more conditions that must be accommodated. Employers must engage in an interactive process before denying any accommodation — failure to do so is an independent legal violation.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Discrimination
California law holds multiple parties responsible for workplace discrimination in ways that go beyond what most people expect.
Your Employer — Direct Liability
For termination, failure to hire, failure to promote, unequal pay, and any other adverse employment action, the company is directly liable when the decision was based on a protected characteristic. Individual supervisors who made or influenced the decision bind the company.
Supervisors — Harassment Liability
Supervisors can be held individually liable for harassment based on a protected characteristic (racial slurs, religious harassment, sexual orientation harassment). The company is automatically liable for supervisory harassment — regardless of whether HR was told.
Third Parties — Duty to Protect
Your employer has a legal duty to protect you from discrimination by clients, vendors, and independent contractors. If a client consistently makes discriminatory comments and your employer tells you to 'deal with it,' the employer becomes liable for failing to take corrective action.
Discrimination Happens Across Every Industry
Workplace discrimination is not confined to any single industry. Here are the patterns we see most often — and the specific scenarios that recur in cases we handle.
Technology & Startups
- →A Black engineer with stronger credentials is passed over for a senior role given to a less-experienced white colleague. When he asks why, HR cites 'cultural fit' — a vague explanation that courts recognize as a pretext for race discrimination.
- →A woman in her 40s is excluded from product strategy meetings after a younger male executive joins. Her ideas appear in presentations credited to others. She receives her first negative performance review in eight years.
Healthcare & Medical
- →A Latina nurse with 15 years of experience is denied charge nurse positions repeatedly. Less-experienced Anglo nurses are promoted. Management cites 'communication style' — a comment tied to her national origin and accent.
- →A Muslim physician requests schedule accommodations for Friday prayers. The hospital denies the request without exploring alternatives. When he files a complaint, he is placed on administrative leave pending a 'review.'
Finance & Banking
- →A pregnant associate is removed from a high-profile deal team weeks after disclosing her pregnancy. Management says the timing 'wasn't right for her' — a decision that directly impacts her compensation and advancement.
- →An older financial advisor's client book is quietly redistributed to younger colleagues over 18 months, with management citing 'capacity concerns.' He is eventually offered a buyout at a fraction of his book's value.
Retail & Consumer Services
- →A transgender employee is repeatedly misgendered by a manager and excluded from a team development program. HR is informed twice but takes no action. The employee is fired three months later for 'attitude issues.'
- →An employee with a disclosed disability requests a modified schedule. The request is denied without any interactive process. He is terminated the following month when he takes unscheduled medical leave.
Education
- →A teacher of color is disproportionately disciplined for classroom conduct that white colleagues engage in without consequence. The pattern becomes clear when union records show differential treatment over two academic years.
- →A Jewish school administrator is excluded from leadership decisions after the school changes ownership. Comments about 'not fitting the school's culture' are made by the new superintendent in the presence of multiple witnesses.
Construction & Manufacturing
- →Female workers on a construction site are assigned administrative duties while male hires of equal skill are placed on field crews. The pattern repeats despite equal qualifications and explicit objections.
- →An employee with a work injury requests light-duty assignment. The supervisor says there are 'no available positions' — then immediately hires a new worker to perform exactly the tasks the injured employee requested.
All Types of Discrimination We Handle
Under California's FEHA, every one of these protected characteristics is fully covered. Click any area to learn about your specific rights and the laws that protect you.
Age Discrimination
Over 40 and treated differently? FEHA and the ADEA protect workers 40+ from age-based bias in all employment decisions, with California law providing far stronger remedies.
Disability Discrimination
Physical or mental disability? California's broad definition covers many conditions — and employers must provide reasonable accommodations and engage in an interactive process.
Gender Discrimination
Pay disparities, unequal treatment, and sex stereotyping are all illegal. California's Equal Pay Act is among the strongest in the country.
LGBTQ+ Discrimination
Sexual orientation and gender identity are fully protected under FEHA. Harassment, misgendering, and adverse treatment are all actionable in California courts.
Pregnancy Discrimination
Pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions are protected. Employers cannot discriminate in hiring, assignments, leave, or termination.
Race Discrimination
Racial bias in hiring, promotions, pay, and discipline — including racial harassment and hostile work environment — is illegal under FEHA and federal law.
Religious Discrimination
Employers must accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs unless it creates an undue hardship. Harassment based on religion is also prohibited under California and federal law.
Whistleblower Retaliation
Retaliation for reporting discrimination, filing a complaint, or cooperating with an investigation is a separate illegal act under FEHA and Labor Code § 1102.5.
What You Can Recover
FEHA provides comprehensive remedies for victims of workplace discrimination. California law is significantly more generous than federal law, with no damage caps and broader categories of recovery.
Lost Wages & Benefits
Past and future earnings lost because of the discriminatory act — termination, demotion, missed promotion, or unequal pay. Includes salary, bonuses, commissions, health insurance, retirement contributions, and equity compensation.
Emotional Distress
Compensation for the psychological harm of being discriminated against — anxiety, depression, humiliation, and the strain on your personal life and relationships. A major component of FEHA recovery with no cap on the amount.
Punitive Damages
Available in cases of malicious or oppressive conduct. California places no cap on punitive damages in FEHA cases. Designed to punish employers who discriminate knowingly and deter future discrimination across the company.
Attorney's Fees & Costs
Under FEHA, the prevailing employee is entitled to attorney's fees. You pay nothing out of pocket — we advance all litigation costs and are paid only if we recover money for you.
Back Pay & Front Pay
Back pay covers lost earnings from the date of the discriminatory act to trial. Front pay compensates for future lost earnings when reinstatement isn't possible or desired. Both can be substantial in long-term employment cases.
Policy Changes & Injunctive Relief
Settlements often require employers to update anti-discrimination policies, conduct training, remove bad actors, and change the systems that allowed discrimination to occur — protecting future employees as well as compensating you.
California Has a 3-Year Deadline — Don't Wait
You have 3 years from the last discriminatory act to file with the Civil Rights Department (CRD). After receiving a right-to-sue notice, you have 1 year to file in court. Federal claims under Title VII must be filed within just 300 days. These are hard deadlines — missing them permanently bars your claim, with no extensions.
The earlier you act, the more time there is to gather evidence, identify witnesses, and build the strongest possible case.
Building a Discrimination Case — What Matters Most
Direct evidence of discrimination is rare — employers rarely admit illegal motives. But circumstantial evidence is equally valid under California law. Here's what matters.
Comparator Evidence
Evidence that employees outside your protected class, in similar roles with similar qualifications and performance, were treated better. This is often the most powerful evidence in a discrimination case.
Performance Review History
Strong reviews before the protected event (disclosure, complaint, accommodation request), followed by sudden negative evaluations, show suspicious timing and pretext for the adverse action.
Communications & Emails
Internal emails or messages about the decision to fire, not hire, or not promote you — especially any comments referencing your age, race, disability, religion, or other protected characteristic.
Statistical Patterns
Data on who gets promoted, hired, or fired at your employer by protected class. Patterns in employer data can establish both disparate treatment and disparate impact claims.
Witness Testimony
Coworkers who heard discriminatory comments, observed differential treatment, or were themselves subjected to discrimination from the same supervisor are valuable witnesses even if they're not currently employed there.
Your Documented Account
A written record of discriminatory incidents — dates, people present, what was said, and how it affected you — created as close to the events as possible. Even notes in your phone or personal calendar count.
You don't need every piece of evidence. Your testimony is evidence. Our attorneys know how to develop a case through discovery, depositions, and statistical analysis — including obtaining internal employer data you may not have access to today.
Serving Discrimination Victims Across California
Our employment attorneys represent employees throughout California. We are based in Los Angeles and handle cases from these cities and surrounding areas.
Don't see your city? We serve all of California. Contact us to discuss your case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the questions we hear most from California workers who believe they have experienced workplace discrimination.
What counts as workplace discrimination in California?
Employment discrimination occurs when an employer treats an employee or applicant less favorably because of a protected characteristic. Under California's FEHA, protected characteristics include: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex and gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age (40+), disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information, marital status, pregnancy, military and veteran status, and more. Federal law covers many of these, but California's protections are broader and cover more employers.
How is California discrimination law different from federal law?
California's FEHA provides significantly stronger protections than federal laws like Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA. Key differences: FEHA covers employers with 5+ employees for most claims (federal: 15+); FEHA covers employers with just 1 employee for harassment claims; FEHA has a 3-year statute of limitations (federal: 300 days); FEHA protects more characteristics; California courts apply a broader standard of proof; and California allows unlimited compensatory and punitive damages.
What is disparate treatment vs. disparate impact discrimination?
Disparate treatment is intentional: an employer singles you out or treats you differently because of your protected characteristic. Disparate impact is unintentional but equally illegal: a neutral-seeming policy disproportionately screens out a protected group without business justification. Both are illegal under FEHA. You don't need to prove the employer had discriminatory intent in a disparate impact case.
Does my employer have to say something discriminatory for me to have a case?
No. Direct discriminatory statements are rare — employers rarely say the quiet part out loud. Most discrimination cases are built on circumstantial evidence: how you were treated compared to similarly-situated employees outside your protected class, suspicious timing, shifting reasons for adverse decisions, the pattern of who gets promoted or fired, and statistical evidence of disparate treatment.
What types of employment actions can be discriminatory?
Any adverse employment action taken because of a protected characteristic can be discriminatory: termination, demotion, suspension, failure to hire, failure to promote, unequal pay, transfer to worse assignments, exclusion from training, hostile working conditions, unequal discipline, denial of reasonable accommodation, and forced retirement.
Can I be discriminated against during the hiring process?
Yes. Discrimination during hiring is one of the most common — and hardest to detect — forms of employment discrimination. If you were not hired, not called back, or asked improper questions about your age, disability, pregnancy, religion, or national origin during an interview, you may have a claim. Employers cannot make hiring decisions based on protected characteristics.
What is intersectional discrimination?
Intersectional discrimination occurs when you are treated adversely because of the combination of two or more protected characteristics — for example, being discriminated against as a Black woman in a way that neither Black men nor white women experience. California courts and the Civil Rights Department recognize intersectional discrimination as actionable.
How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in California?
3 years from the last act of discrimination to file with the Civil Rights Department (CRD). After receiving a right-to-sue notice from CRD, you have 1 year to file in civil court. Federal claims under Title VII must be filed within 300 days. Do not wait — these deadlines permanently bar your claim if missed.
What damages can I recover in a discrimination case in California?
Lost wages and benefits (past and future), emotional distress, punitive damages (available in cases of oppressive or malicious conduct), attorney's fees and costs under FEHA, and reinstatement if desired. California does not cap compensatory or punitive damages in FEHA cases the way federal law caps Title VII damages.
What if I was discriminated against and then fired for complaining about it?
This is called retaliation, and it's a separate illegal act. If you reported discrimination to HR, filed a complaint with the CRD or EEOC, or cooperated in an investigation, and were then fired, demoted, or otherwise punished, you have both a discrimination claim and a separate retaliation claim. Retaliation claims are often the stronger of the two.
You Deserve Equal Treatment. We'll Fight for It.
Our attorneys have helped over 1,000 California workers recover what they were owed. The consultation is free, everything you share is confidential, and you never pay unless we win.
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