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In California, workplace harassment is generally prohibited when it is connected to a protected characteristic under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Sexual harassment can include unwanted visual, verbal, or physical conduct—and a single incident may qualify if it is sufficiently severe. You can report concerns through your employer, submit an intake to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), or use both routes. The general deadline for a CRD employment intake is three years from the date you were last harmed.

This is general information about California law, not a decision about any particular situation. CRD’s employment page and complaint-process page provide current agency information. Last reviewed October 4, 2026.

What counts as workplace harassment in California?

FEHA harassment is conduct connected to a protected characteristic. CRD lists characteristics including race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age 40 or older, disability, sex and gender-related characteristics, sexual orientation, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, and reproductive health decision-making. The specific legal assessment depends on the conduct and circumstances.

Harassment is prohibited even in workplaces with fewer than five employees. The five-employee threshold applies to FEHA’s general employment-discrimination prohibition, not to the harassment prohibition. CRD says employees, job applicants, unpaid interns, volunteers, and contractors may file harassment complaints. See CRD’s employment guidance.

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Examples of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment can be visual, verbal, or physical; it is not limited to touching or conduct directed face-to-face at the person affected. CRD’s examples include:

  • Leering, sexual gestures, or sexually suggestive pictures or objects.
  • Derogatory sexual comments, epithets, slurs, jokes, or graphic comments about someone’s body.
  • Unwanted touching, assault, or impeding or blocking someone’s movement.
  • Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors.
  • Retaliating after someone rejects sexual advances.

CRD describes its examples as partial; other conduct may also be relevant. A single incident can constitute hostile-environment harassment when sufficiently severe. CRD training materials give sexual assault and racial epithets or slurs as examples. That does not mean every offensive remark or unpleasant interaction automatically violates the law; context and facts matter. You do not have to settle the legal classification before reporting troubling conduct or starting CRD intake.

Where can you report workplace harassment?

The employer’s internal procedure and a CRD complaint intake serve different purposes, and they are not mutually exclusive. An internal report can alert the employer and prompt action under its policy. CRD intake asks the agency to assess a covered civil-rights claim. An internal complaint does not replace the separate option of contacting CRD.

Route Who receives it Purpose and process Timing and limits
Internal report Your employer, using its written anti-harassment policy or reporting procedure Gives the employer an opportunity to respond and investigate under its policy. CRD’s March 2025 employer guide says employers must maintain and distribute a written policy with complaint-response and investigation procedures. Follow the employer’s policy for how and where to report. An internal report does not itself submit a CRD intake or secure a CRD investigation option.
CRD intake California Civil Rights Department Begins the agency’s assessment of a covered civil-rights allegation. CRD may investigate, attempt resolution, or pursue a case; it does not represent the complainant or act as their personal legal advisor. The general employment intake deadline is three years from the date last harmed. If you intend to bring an employment case directly in court, CRD says you must first obtain an immediate Right-to-Sue notice.

CRD’s March 2025 employer guide states: “An employer’s legal obligation is to take reasonable steps to prevent and correct unlawful behavior.” That obligation does not make the employer’s internal process the only reporting route.

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How to make a report and prepare useful information

Report internally

  1. Find your employer’s written anti-harassment policy or complaint procedure, often provided in workplace policies or employee materials.
  2. Use the listed reporting channel and describe the conduct, approximate dates, people involved, and any witnesses or records you know about.
  3. Keep a copy of what you submit and note when, how, and to whom you reported it.

CRD’s employer guide says reports alleging conduct that would violate policy or law should be investigated. The employer’s policy should explain its procedures for responding to and investigating complaints.

Start a CRD intake

  1. Go to the CRD complaint-process page and start an employment complaint intake through the California Civil Rights System or another intake method listed by CRD.
  2. Provide the information requested about the conduct, dates, people involved, and relevant employment events. The general deadline for an employment intake is three years from the date you were last harmed.
  3. If you do not have every detail or record, begin the process anyway if needed: CRD says you may start online intake before gathering everything and add information later.
  4. If you plan to bring an employment case directly in court, follow CRD’s instructions to obtain an immediate Right-to-Sue notice first.

Keep records without altering them

Useful information may include a dated account of events; witness names and contact details, if known; and relevant messages, emails, texts, screenshots, letters, reprimands, transfer notices, or other employment records. Preserve original files and messages where possible, and avoid editing records. CRD’s employment page and complaint-process page explain the agency’s process and preparation.

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What if your employer retaliates after you speak up?

Retaliation for opposing conduct you reasonably believe is illegal may itself be unlawful. CRD’s June 2025 fact sheet identifies speaking out against workplace harassment or discrimination, asking CRD for advice, filing a complaint, and participating in an investigation as examples of protected activity. Possible retaliation may include firing, discipline, denial of promotion, schedule changes, or threats connected to that activity.

You do not need to use special legal terminology to oppose workplace misconduct. CRD advises making clear that you believe the employer may have violated the law. If an employment change follows, record what happened and when. Timing alone does not establish that a particular action was unlawful; the facts matter. See CRD’s employment information.

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When to seek individualized help

CRD handles covered civil-rights allegations but does not represent complainants or provide personal legal advice. If you are considering litigation, face an immediate safety concern, or are unsure how the filing deadline applies to your situation, consider getting individualized legal help. The information here does not determine whether a specific incident meets FEHA’s legal standard or guarantee an outcome.

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