Can My Employer Discriminate Against Me Based on My Accent in California?

If you believe your situation meets the threshold for a formal claim, our FEHA Claim Checker can help you assess the strength of your case before you decide whether to file with the CRD.

Accent discrimination is one of the most common and least reported forms of workplace discrimination in California. It often masquerades as a neutral business decision — a concern about communication, customer perception, or professional presentation — when what is actually happening is discrimination based on national origin, ethnicity, or ancestry. California law takes accent discrimination seriously, and employees who are passed over, demoted, or terminated because of their accent have real legal recourse under both state and federal law.

Request your personnel file under Labor Code § 1198.5 and review every evaluation and disciplinary document for any reference to communication or language that could reflect accent-based bias.