California Codes and Discrimination Protection

The California Labor Code and Government Code prohibit discrimination in employment on many public policy grounds.

In addition to other subjects discussed in this section, you are prohibited from discriminating or retaliating against an employee for:

  • Filing a claim with the Labor Commissioner or making complaints of unpaid wages.1
  • Filing an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaint, reporting a work related fatality, injury or illness, requesting access to occupational injury or illness reports, or exercising any rights protected by Cal/OSHA or federal OSHA.2
  • Serving on a jury.3
  • Disclosing illiteracy.4
  • Attending a requested meeting at a suspended child’s school, if the employee is a parent or guardian and gives reasonable notice.5
  • Attending a child’s school activity.6
  • Taking time off as a result of being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.7
  • Status of being a victim of or having a family member that is a victim of a qualifying act of violence.8
  • Taking time off to train for or participate in emergency firefighting, law enforcement or emergency rescue duty.9
  • Refusing to submit to a polygraph, lie detector or similar test.10
  • Disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency or to a person with authority over the employee or authority to investigate, discover or correct the violation, if the employee reasonably believes that the information discloses a violation or noncompliance with state, local or federal law or regulations.11

1. Lab. Code sec. 98.6

2. Lab. Code sec. 6310

3. Lab. Code sec. 230(a), (b)

4. Lab. Code sec. 1041

5. Lab. Code sec. 230.7; Educ. Code sec. 48900.1

6. Lab. Code sec. 230.8

7. Lab. Code secs. 230(c), 230.1

8. Gov. Code sec. 12945.8(d)

9. Lab. Code secs. 230.3, 230.4

10. Lab. Code sec. 432.2

11. Lab. Code secs. 1102.5-1102.8