Workplace Harassment Claims in San Bernardino
Harassment at work — sexual, racial, or any protected trait — is illegal. And California may give you as little as 3 years to act. How deadlines work ↓
Protected at work
$150 million+ recovered for workers
What this looks like in real life — and what the law calls it.
Harassment is usually smaller, repeated, and easier to doubt than people expect. The legal test is whether unwelcome conduct tied to who you are made your job hostile — it does not have to be sexual, physical, or loud. Each situation below maps to a real claim.
He says the comments are jokes. They're about my body, and they happen every shift.
The law calls it → sexual harassment (hostile work environment)
- "My manager hinted my hours depend on how 'friendly' I am after work." The law calls it → quid pro quo sexual harassment
- "The 'nicknames' are slurs. Everyone laughs, so I'm supposed to." The law calls it → racial or national-origin harassment
- "Since I started wearing a hijab, I'm suddenly 'not a culture fit' for client meetings." The law calls it → religious discrimination
- "They call me 'grandpa' in standups and gave the project I built to someone half my age." The law calls it → age-based harassment (40+)
- "I reported it to HR. Two weeks later my performance was suddenly a problem." The law calls it → retaliation — illegal even if the original complaint isn't proven
- "They didn't fire me. They just made every day bad enough that I'd quit." The law calls it → constructive discharge
These cover sex, race, religion, age, disability, national origin, LGBTQ+ status, and retaliation — every protected ground, in any industry. If something here is familiar, you don't have to be sure before you ask.
Illustrative situations — not client accounts.
What happens after you reach out.
You don't need documents, a lawyer-ready story, or even certainty that what happened was illegal. Here's the whole process — and what we handle for you at each step.
- A free, confidential consultation. Usually 15 minutes. You tell us what happened; we tell you honestly whether you may have a case and which deadlines apply to you. If we're not the right fit, we say so.
- We build the record. We help you preserve what matters — texts, emails, schedules, reviews, witness names — and map your strongest claims under California and federal law.
- We handle the filings. Agency complaints have strict formats and fatal deadlines. We draft and file with the right agency — state, federal, or both — so nothing lapses while you keep living your life.
- We negotiate from strength. Most matters resolve without a trial — through demand letters and negotiated settlements covering lost pay, emotional distress, and terms that protect your future references.
- If they won't make it right, we litigate. We've taken harassment cases to jury verdicts. You pay nothing unless we win — our fee comes out of the recovery, never your pocket.
Honest expectations: agency processes run months, not weeks — but many matters resolve sooner through negotiation, and acting early protects both your evidence and your deadlines. We'll give you a realistic timeline for your situation on the first call.
How long do you have to file a harassment claim?
San Bernardino workers — including the Inland Empire's massive warehouse and temp workforce — are protected by California's FEHA at any employer size, with 3 years to file and uncapped damages. Temp and contract workers are covered too. Document what happened and get a free consultation before evidence disappears. Compare all states →
Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA)
Cal. Gov. Code § 12940 et seq.
Covers harassment at employers with 1+ employees for HARASSMENT (5+ for other discrimination claims).
What you can recover
- NO statutory caps on compensatory or punitive damages (contrast Title VII's $50K-$300K caps)
- Back pay and front pay
- Hiring / reinstatement / promotion
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Emotional distress damages
- Punitive damages
- Attorney's fees and costs including expert witness fees (Gov. Code § 12965; prevailing defendants recover only if action was frivolous)
Punished for speaking up? That's a separate claim.
Gov. Code § 12940(h): unlawful 'to harass, discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate against any person because the person has opposed any practices forbidden under this part or because the person has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under this part.'
Three things worth knowing about California law
- Harassment covered at ALL employer sizes (1+) including for contractors, interns, volunteers (§ 12940(j))
- Employer liable for nonemployee (customer/client) harassment where it knew or should have known and failed to act
- Statute current through SB 1100 (Stats. 2024, Ch. 877, eff. Jan. 1, 2025); SB 477 tolling changes eff. Jan. 1, 2026
Every deadline that could apply to you
- California Civil Rights Department (state)
- 3 years from the unlawful practice to file with CRD (Gov. Code § 12960)
- Federal EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
- 300 days (California is a deferral state — CRD is the FEPA); for harassment the clock runs from the last incident
- After right-to-sue
- 1 year from CRD right-to-sue notice to file civil action (Gov. Code § 12965); right-to-sue notice required before filing your own lawsuit
The mistakes that end San Bernardino cases before they start.
- Temp workers bounce between assignments — but the 3-year clock runs from the harassment, not from when your assignment ends. Don't let a new placement bury an old claim.
- The federal EEOC window is only 300 days — much shorter than California's 3 years. If federal claims matter, the short clock controls.
- After the CRD right-to-sue notice: exactly 1 year to sue.
- Harassment is covered at ANY employer size; discrimination claims need 5+ employees.
- If English isn't your first language: CRD accepts complaints in multiple languages, and language barriers don't extend deadlines.
Where harassment claims arise in San Bernardino.
The law protects you in every industry and every workplace — these are simply the corners of San Bernardino's economy where claims concentrate. The Inland Empire's logistics-dominated economy concentrates EEOC harassment risk factors: isolated warehouse shifts, temp-staffing layers that blur accountability, and dispersed trucking worksites.
Warehousing & logistics
124,500 warehouse jobs in the metro — quota-pressure environments, night shifts, and isolated work areas. Harassment reports often die between the staffing agency and the warehouse operator.
Temp & staffing-placed workers
42,900 employment-services jobs in the region. Dual-employer setups blur who's accountable — but FEHA covers contract workers explicitly, and both entities can be liable.
Trucking & transportation
31,400 truck transportation jobs — dispersed worksites, male-dominated yards, and weak HR oversight. Drivers classified as contractors are still protected from harassment under FEHA.
Healthcare
329,700 metro jobs and growing fast — night shifts, hierarchical clinical settings, and patient-facing exposure.
Three venues. Different deadlines. One decision.
State · CRD California Civil Rights Department
1325 Spruce Street, Suite 320
Riverside, CA 92507
(800) 884-1684
Filing is CENTRALIZED statewide: online via California Civil Rights System (CCRS), phone 800-884-1684, 711 relay, TTY 1-800-700-2320, email contact.
File online →Federal · EEOC EEOC Los Angeles District Office
There is no EEOC office in San Bernardino — the county is served by the Los Angeles District Office. Most workers file online via the EEOC Public Portal.
Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple St., 4th FloorLos Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 785-3090
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday EEOC Public Portal →
Court San Bernardino County Superior Court
247 West Third Street
San Bernardino, CA 92415-0210
(909) 708-8678
The filing path, step by step
- Document everything — shift logs, quota records, texts, witness names. Warehouse evidence disappears fast with turnover.
- File with the California Civil Rights Department within 3 years — online via CCRS or by phone (800-884-1684); the nearest CRD office is Riverside (1325 Spruce St). Filing is centralized, so you never need to appear anywhere.
- Or file with the EEOC within 300 days — online via the Public Portal (the LA District Office covers San Bernardino County).
- If you're temp-placed: name BOTH the staffing agency and the worksite employer in your complaint.
- After your CRD right-to-sue notice: 1 year to file at the San Bernardino Justice Center, Civil Division (247 W Third St).
$150 million+
Recovered for workers — including a $23.5 million sexual harassment settlement for 150 female workers.
Results obtained primarily in California matters. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different; the value and outcome of your matter will depend on its specific facts.
The attorneys behind this page.
You'll talk to the people on this page — not a call center. Licensed in California and Washington.
pending
Craig J. Ackermann
CA STATE BAR NO. 229832
Craig J. Ackermann has 25 years of employment law experience and has served as lead or co-lead counsel in more than 600 class, collective, or PAGA actions since 2007 on behalf of more than 500,000 workers.
Full bio →pending
[Avi — full name placeholder]
WASHINGTON STATE BAR NO. [PENDING]
Bio paragraph pending from Ackermann & Tilajef. Leads the firm's Washington practice from the Tacoma office.
Full bio →The clock is real. Action is simple.
- Document everything Dates, times, places, exact words, witnesses. Contemporaneous notes are powerful evidence.
- Preserve messages Screenshot texts, emails, chat messages — before you lose access to work accounts.
- Report it in writing Internal reports create a record and trigger your employer's legal duty to act.
- Don't sign anything quickly Severance and separation agreements can affect your rights. Have them reviewed first.
- Know retaliation is illegal Cut hours, worse shifts, exclusion, or termination after you report may be a separate violation.
- Get a free consultation Deadlines are short and mandatory. An employment lawyer can map your options quickly.
Asked by San Bernardino workers.
I work in an Inland Empire warehouse and my supervisor is harassing me — what are my rights?
FEHA protects you regardless of the warehouse's size or your immigration status, with 3 years to file with the CRD. Document shifts, quotas, and witnesses now — warehouse turnover erodes evidence fast. Retaliation (cut shifts, worse assignments, termination) after you report is independently illegal.
I was placed by a temp agency — can I still sue for harassment, and who is responsible?
Yes. California explicitly covers workers 'providing services pursuant to a contract,' and both the staffing agency and the worksite employer can be liable. The region's 42,900 employment-services jobs make this the Inland Empire's most common harassment-claim structure — name both entities.
My employer has fewer than 5 employees — am I still protected?
For harassment, yes — FEHA's harassment protections apply at one or more employees. The 5-employee threshold only applies to discrimination claims. Small trucking outfits, family-run shops, and small contractors are all covered.
I'm a truck driver classified as an independent contractor — does FEHA still protect me from harassment?
Yes. FEHA's harassment protections extend to people 'providing services pursuant to a contract' — the contractor label doesn't strip harassment protection. (It may affect other claims, which is exactly the kind of thing a free consultation sorts out.)
Where do I file a workplace harassment lawsuit in San Bernardino?
After getting your CRD right-to-sue notice: the Civil Division at the San Bernardino Justice Center, 247 West Third Street. Before that, your CRD complaint is filed online or by phone — you don't need to travel to any office.
Does it matter that there's no EEOC office in San Bernardino?
No. The LA District Office covers the county, and virtually everyone files online through the EEOC Public Portal anyway. For most Inland Empire workers, the state CRD route (3-year window, uncapped damages) is the stronger path regardless.
Talking to us is easier than you think.
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Talk to someone who's recovered millions for workers like you.
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