Retaliation Complaint Investigation Unit (RCI)
Employees and applicants for employment in California have the right to exercise their labor rights without retaliation or discrimination. The Labor Commissioner’s Office enforces more than 45 labor laws that specifically prohibit discrimination and retaliation, including Equal Pay Act violations.
The Retaliation Complaint Investigation Unit (RCI) investigates workplace retaliation complaints. Examples include:
- Termination, suspension, transfer or demotion
- Reduction in pay or hours
- Disciplinary actions or threats
- Unfair immigration-related practices
RCI also investigates:
- pay inequity based on sex
- pay inequity based on race
- pay inequity based on ethnicity
Workplace discrimination complaints based on race, color, ancestry, religion, age (40 and over), sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, marital status, or national origin (including language restrictions), should be filed with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Resources
- Retaliation Complaints Based on Workplace/Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) Claims
- Retaliation complaint forms
- California Pay Transparency Complaint form
- Instructions and guide for filing a Pay Transparency Complaint
- Assurances of participation without retaliation
- Laws that prohibit retaliation and discrimination
- Instructions and guide for filing an Equal Pay Act complaint
- Equal pay cases handout
- Domestic Violence and the Rights of Domestic Violence Victims
- Employer’s Notice Requirements regarding Victims of Domestic Violence
May 2024
Quick Links
- Judgment Enforcement Unit
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- Retaliation (RCI)
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- New Labor Laws in California
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- Private Attorney General Act (PAGA)
Resources
About the Labor Commissioner's Office
