Faces of CRD
Read real-life stories about how CRD is protecting and enforcing the civil rights of all Californians.
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON AGE AND RACE
W.C.
What was your experience that led you to seek out help from CRD?
I applied for a job that I was well qualified for. In order to complete the interview process, I had to go through a series of tests that ended up preventing me from getting the job. I believe some of the tests were not lawful, and others had race and age bias.
How did this experience affect you?
It really hit me as painful and I saw for the first time how bias and prejudice can derail the most skilled candidate. It was a loss for me and the company. It was definitely disappointing, and I was going to move on, but it occurred to me how often had these people set up tests to hire a certain type of candidate, and could they really act with impunity? Accordingly, I contacted CRD.
How was your experience in contacting CRD?
I am not a big fan of government and expected little to no action. The first surprise was the on-line form to file the complaint was simple and easy to navigate as I expected a maze of bureaucracy but instead found an easy process. The second surprise was someone from CRD contacted and interviewed me. A real live person who took interest in my case and did not dismiss me as another number! They reviewed the law with me and what could and could not be done. They certainly made no promises but did explain the situation completely and what steps I could take.
What did you want to come out from your experience?
My main interest was to ensure the offending company did not do this to anyone else and would institute a fair process for any prospective employee.
How was your experience with CRD?
The CRD mediator skillfully negotiated with this company to stop their biased practices which they agreed to do in writing. While I was not looking for money, CRD negotiated a small amount more to remind them of the harm. More could have been done in this area, but I was more interested in stopping the questionable practices than some prolonged litigation that would have been a distraction for all involved. CRD was extremely professional and acted in a fair way to me and the company. They were the anthesis of the narrative that government does not work. In my case, they reached a speedy and successful conclusion and I would recommend them to anyone with a labor law dispute. This is a government agency that gets things done.