Starting January 1, 2025, a new California law banned discrimination against employees based on a mix of protected characteristics (like race, sex, age over 40, or religion). That means an employer can’t single someone out if they belong to two or more protected groups—even if the employer doesn’t discriminate against people in just one of those groups.
For example, an employer might treat Black female employees unfairly, even if they don’t discriminate against Black employees who aren’t female, or female employees who aren’t Black. This new law closes that loophole, making it clear that treating people differently because of a combination of traits is illegal and won’t be tolerated in the workplace.