Civil Rights Department highlights pay-equity data, launches Fair Chance tools and reports two six-figure settlements

Rachel Langston, assistant chief counsel for the California Civil Rights Department, told the Civil Rights Council that the agency is in its third year of collecting employer pay-data reports and has published 2020–21 data showing persistent pay disparities.

"Women in communities of color persist to be overrepresented in the lowest paid sectors in California," Langston said, urging employers to use the reporting to analyze and correct pay practices.

Langston outlined enforcement outcomes and compliance tools the department has rolled out this year. She said the department secured a nearly $100,000 settlement with Cambrian Home Care after the employer failed to provide required pay-data reports for 2020–2022. On Oct. 31 the department reached a $100,000 settlement with the Moraga Bridal Fire Protection District to resolve alleged violations of the Fair Chance Act, which restricts when employers may inquire about applicants' criminal histories.

Langston also described new Fair Chance Act regulations that took effect Oct. 1 and an online interactive tool launched Sept. 6 to help individuals determine whether the law applies to a hiring situation. She said the regulations clarify applicants' rights and employer obligations and explain how employers may claim the worker opportunity tax credit without violating the Fair Chance Act.

The department framed the settlements and new regulations as part of a broader compliance and enforcement strategy: public reporting to spotlight disparities, outreach tools to help individuals assert rights, and penalty authority to encourage employer compliance.

Langston said the department has seen an "uptick" in employer compliance since the amended penalty authority took effect and urged stakeholders to review the pay-data reporting tab on the department's website for full datasets and guidance.