State Starts Program to Mediate Bias Complaints

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing launched a pilot mediation program Friday aimed at getting employers and employees to voluntarily resolve formal complaints of workplace discrimination filed with the department.

The mediation program, the first statewide effort of its kind, was launched with the opening of offices in Los Angeles and Emeryville in the Bay Area. The Los Angeles office will initially handle complaints in Los Angeles County.

The new program expects to mediate about 2,400 of the 18,000 employment discrimination complaints filed each year with the department, which enforces laws prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.