In California, a law called a statute of limitations blocks a plaintiff from filing a sexual harassment claim or lawsuit after a certain amount of time has passed. Under federal law, the statute of limitations on a sexual harassment lawsuit is typically 180 calendar days from the last incident of sexual harassment. This deadline is extended to 300 days, however, if there is a law in your state that coincides with federal law, as is the case in California.
Assembly Bill 9, signed into law in 2019 by Gov. Gavin Newson, became effective on January 1, 2020. This law extends the amount of time that an employee has to file a harassment or discrimination claim with the Department of Fair Employment or Housing from one year to three years from the last act of alleged misconduct. Once the Department gives the plaintiff a Right-to-Sue letter, the claimant has another year to file a lawsuit. Speak to an attorney as soon as possible to avoid missing your deadline.