Description
California Discrimination Is Against the Law Brochure Packet
Help educate employees about California civil rights protections with the California Discrimination Is Against the Law Brochure Packet. Published by the California Civil Rights Department, this brochure provides information about protections against discrimination and harassment in employment, housing, and business establishments, along with information about hate violence and filing a civil rights complaint.
What's Included
- Quantity: 20 brochures per packet
- Size: 5.5"W x 8"H
- Language: Available in English or Spanish
- Format: Individual civil rights brochures for employee or public distribution
- Topic: California discrimination, harassment, housing, business, and civil rights protections
What Is the California Discrimination Is Against the Law Brochure?
The Discrimination Is Against the Law brochure provides information about civil rights protections enforced by the California Civil Rights Department.
The brochure explains protections involving employment discrimination and harassment, housing discrimination, discrimination by business establishments, hate violence, retaliation, and the process for contacting the California Civil Rights Department.
Employment Discrimination Protections
California's Fair Employment and Housing Act protects employees and job applicants from unlawful discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics.
Protected characteristics can include:
- Race and color
- Religion
- National origin and ancestry
- Sex and gender
- Gender identity and gender expression
- Sexual orientation
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions
- Marital status
- Physical and mental disability
- Medical condition
- Genetic information
- Military and veteran status
- Age for applicable employment protections
- Other characteristics protected by California law
What Employment Practices Are Protected?
California law prohibits unlawful discrimination in many aspects of employment.
Depending on the circumstances, protections can apply to:
- Job advertisements
- Employment applications
- Applicant screening
- Interviews
- Hiring
- Job assignments
- Transfers
- Promotions
- Compensation
- Training and apprenticeship programs
- Working conditions
- Discipline
- Termination and separation from employment
Workplace Harassment Is Prohibited
California law protects employees from unlawful workplace harassment based on protected characteristics.
Harassment can involve conduct by supervisors, managers, coworkers, customers, clients, vendors, contractors, or other individuals encountered through employment.
California employers also have responsibilities to take reasonable steps to prevent and correct unlawful discrimination and harassment.
Protection Against Retaliation
California law prohibits unlawful retaliation against individuals for exercising protected civil rights.
Protected activities can include reporting discrimination or harassment, filing a complaint, participating in an investigation, requesting a reasonable accommodation, or otherwise exercising rights protected under California law.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
Employees and job applicants with qualifying disabilities may have the right to reasonable accommodation when necessary to perform essential job functions or participate in the employment process.
Employers and employees may be required to participate in an interactive process to determine whether an effective reasonable accommodation is available.
Pregnancy and Family Leave Protections
California employees may have additional protections involving pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, family care, medical leave, and reasonable workplace accommodations.
Eligibility and employer obligations depend on the particular law, employer size, employee circumstances, and other applicable requirements.
California Fair Housing Protections
The Discrimination Is Against the Law brochure also provides information about California protections against discrimination in housing.
Fair housing protections can apply to activities involving:
- Housing advertisements
- Rental applications
- Tenant screening
- Rental and lease terms
- Home sales
- Mortgage lending
- Housing insurance
- Reasonable accommodations for disabilities
- Reasonable modifications
- Housing harassment
- Other housing-related services
Discrimination by Business Establishments
California civil rights law also protects individuals from unlawful discrimination by business establishments.
Businesses generally must provide full and equal access to goods, services, facilities, privileges, and accommodations without unlawful discrimination based on protected characteristics.
Hate Violence Protections
California civil rights protections also address certain acts of hate violence and threats of violence motivated by protected characteristics.
Individuals who believe they have experienced unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or hate violence can contact the California Civil Rights Department for information about available protections and complaint procedures.
How Can Someone File a California Civil Rights Complaint?
The California Civil Rights Department investigates complaints involving discrimination and harassment in areas within its jurisdiction.
Individuals who believe their civil rights have been violated can contact the department for information concerning their rights, filing deadlines, complaint procedures, and available remedies.
Is This a Required New Hire Pamphlet?
This brochure is an educational California civil rights resource and should not be confused with employee notices that California law specifically requires employers to distribute at the time of hire.
California employers have separate requirements involving sexual harassment information, workers' compensation information, Paid Family Leave, Disability Insurance, Workplace Know Your Rights notices, and other employee communications depending on the employer and employee.
The Discrimination Is Against the Law brochure can be distributed during employee onboarding or maintained as an employee civil rights resource, but employers should separately provide all notices specifically required by California law.
Is This the Required California Workplace Discrimination Poster?
No. California employers are separately required to display the current California Law Prohibits Workplace Discrimination & Harassment poster in a prominent and accessible workplace location.
This Discrimination Is Against the Law brochure provides broader civil rights information and does not replace the mandatory workplace discrimination and harassment poster.
English and Spanish Civil Rights Brochures
This packet is available in English and Spanish. The California Civil Rights Department also publishes the Discrimination Is Against the Law brochure in additional languages.
Employers and organizations should consider the languages used by the individuals receiving civil rights information when selecting appropriate materials.
California Workplace Compliance Resources
Labor Law Compliance Center provides California employers with employee notices, new hire pamphlets, labor law posters, IWC Wage Orders, and specialty compliance products. Visit our California Labor Law Posters page or browse our California State Specialty Posters for additional California workplace compliance products.
