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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 2Pt. 1Ch. 2Art. 4.5§ 53297 Employee Complaint Filing Rights

§ 53297 Employee Complaint Filing Rights

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 53297 Employee Complaint Filing Rights

Key Takeaways

  • •You have 60 days to complain about something bad that happened at work.
  • •Before complaining, you must try to fix the problem using your work’s rules first. The 60-day deadline gets longer while you do this.
  • •If your work doesn’t have rules for complaints, you complain to the boss or the people in charge.
  • •You must promise your complaint is true, or you can get in trouble for lying.

Example

Your boss unfairly cuts your hours at work.

You have 60 days to complain. First, you must try to fix it using your work’s rules (like talking to HR). If that takes 20 days, you now have 80 days total to file your complaint. If your work has no rules, you complain to the boss or the governing body. You must swear your complaint is true.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 53297 Employee Complaint Filing Rights

(a) An employee, or applicant for employment, shall have the right to file a complaint with the local agency within 60 days of the date of the act or event which is the subject of the complaint. (b) Prior to filing a written complaint pursuant to this article, the employee shall first make a good faith effort to exhaust all available administrative remedies. The 60-day time limit specified in subdivision (a) shall be extended by the amount of time actually utilized by the employee in pursuing available administrative remedies. (c) A complaint pursuant to this article shall be filed in accordance with the locally adopted administrative procedure. If there is no administrative procedure, the complaint shall be filed with the governing body. (d) All complaints brought by employees under this article shall be filed under penalty of perjury. (Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 353, Sec. 7.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

employmentpenaltyemployeeemployerinformationaccordance

Related Statutes

  • § 53298 Employee Whistleblower Protection
  • § 53216.9 Reciprocal System Contribution Redeposit
  • § 53243.2 Employee Termination Reimbursement Rule
  • § 53299 Local Employee Disclosure Reports
  • § 7921.505 Public Record Waiver Rule

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 53297.
View Official Source