I went to HR and filed a complaint about my boss back in August and since then he has been retaliating against me.

Facing pushback after going to HR can feel isolating, but California law takes retaliation seriously.

Retaliation claims generally depend on three things: the employee did something the law protects, something negative happened at work, and the two are connected. Complaining to HR about discrimination or harassment is protected under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Reporting a reasonable belief that the company broke a law is protected under Labor Code section 1102.5, and complaints about wages or workplace safety have their own protections. Which law applies depends on what the original complaint was about, and that matters because the deadlines and filing options differ.

The negative action doesn’t have to be a firing. A demotion, reduced hours, a sudden poor review, being left out of meetings or projects, or an unwanted transfer can all count. Timing is often the strongest evidence of a connection, so a clear before-and-after picture, written down as things happen, tends to carry more weight than memories pieced together later.

Employees in this situation often keep a dated log, ask for decisions and the reasons behind them in writing, and report the retaliation itself to HR so there is a record of it. Save communications outside work systems when you can, but taking confidential company documents can create problems, so be careful about what you copy.

Deadlines vary. A complaint with the California Civil Rights Department generally must be filed within three years. A retaliation complaint with the Labor Commissioner generally must be filed within one year, but that depends on the type of claim, and claims against public employers can have much shorter windows. An employment attorney can review the details and explain which options apply.