Yes, you can sue your employer for discrimination if what they did to you was unlawful. Unlawful discrimination takes many forms. It could be based off of your age, your race, your gender, whether you were pregnant, whether your familial status, your national origin, or your color, and many other things as well.
The way that a case starts is by filing a claim against the EEOC, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or in California, it will be the California Civil Rights Department. In order to start a claim, there's strict deadlines. So, make sure you talk to an attorney to make sure you're not missing any deadlines.
Unfair and illegal aren't the same thing
A boss can be arbitrary, play favorites, or make a bad call without breaking any law. Discrimination law only applies when the treatment is because of a protected trait, and that gap between what feels wrong and what's legally actionable is where a lot of potential claims stall before anyone calls an attorney.
Most California discrimination claims also can't go straight to court. You generally have to first file with the California Civil Rights Department or the EEOC and clear that agency process before you're allowed to sue, and the two agencies typically coordinate, so filing with one can help preserve your rights under the other.
Why timing matters
Because this administrative step has real time limits and has to happen before a lawsuit, it's worth talking to an attorney as soon as you suspect discrimination rather than waiting to see how things play out.
More questions, answered.
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