For California workers
The honest answer
There is a deadline, it is strict, and it depends on your claim. Some claims must first go through a state agency, which adds its own clock. Because these dates vary and have changed over the years, the safe answer is not a number — it is to confirm yours quickly with a California attorney or the relevant agency.
A filing deadline — a statute of limitations — is the outer edge for bringing a claim. Miss it, and a court will usually refuse to hear the case no matter how strong it is. Different claims carry different edges, and some add an agency step before you can even file in court.
Picture two clocks running at once. The first is the statute of limitations for the lawsuit itself. The second, for many discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, is an administrative step: before suing, you generally file a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department and get a right-to-sue notice, and that has its own window. Wage claims through the Labor Commissioner and public-policy firing claims run on still other timelines. Because the shortest applicable clock is the one that controls whether your case survives, guessing is risky. The point is not to memorize a number — it is to act before any of the clocks runs out.
Rather than a number that might mislead you, here is where each kind of claim tends to begin and where to confirm the deadline that governs it:
| Kind of claim | Usual first step | Where to confirm the deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Discrimination or harassment | Complaint under the Fair Employment and Housing Act. | California Civil Rights Department or an attorney |
| Retaliation (FEHA) | Complaint, then a right-to-sue notice. | California Civil Rights Department or an attorney |
| Unpaid wages | Claim with the Labor Commissioner, or a lawsuit. | California Labor Commissioner or an attorney |
| Public-policy firing | Lawsuit in court (no agency step needed). | A California employment attorney |
Treat the deadline as urgent even before you know the exact date. The two most useful moves are to lock down your evidence and to get your facts in front of someone who can pin down which clock applies to you:
If you are still weighing whether the firing was even unlawful, do I have a case is the place to start.
Maybe not — but do not assume. Different claims run on different clocks, and some pause or start later depending on when you learned of the harm. The only way to know if your window is still open is to have your specific facts checked promptly by a California attorney or the agency.
For some claims, yes. Many discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act require a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department and a right-to-sue notice first. Other claims can go straight to court. Each path carries its own deadline.
Because a single number could steer you wrong. The deadlines vary by claim and have changed over the years, and the shortest one that applies is what protects your case. An attorney or the agency can confirm the exact date for your situation, which is safer than a rule of thumb.
This page is general legal information about California law — not legal advice — and reading it or talking with our intake assistant does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation turns on its own facts, and that relationship begins only when an attorney agrees in writing to represent you. Deadlines in employment cases are real, strict, and vary by claim, so confirm any date with a California attorney or the relevant agency before you rely on it.
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