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California Employment Law Glossary

CRD Complaint (Civil Rights Department)
Legal Process & Claims

 

Definition


 

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) - formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing - is the state agency responsible for receiving, investigating, and mediating complaints of workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under FEHA. Filing a complaint with the CRD is a statutory prerequisite to filing a civil lawsuit under FEHA in California court. The CRD will issue a right-to-sue notice when it closes its investigation, after which the employee has a limited window to file in court.


Frequently Asked Questions

You can file a CRD complaint online, generally describing the discriminatory or harassing conduct, dates, and parties involved; an attorney can help ensure the complaint is filed correctly and on time.

Retaliating against you for filing a CRD complaint is itself illegal, and the CRD will investigate your underlying complaint and eventually issue a right-to-sue notice if it doesn't resolve the matter directly.

Think this applies to you?

CRD filing deadlines are strict and missing them can bar your claim. Contact us for a free case review before your window closes.
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This glossary is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship with Lawyers for Employee and Consumer Rights. Laws change - for advice specific to your situation, contact our office for a free case review.