The Employment Round Tables began in 1983 in partnership with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), then known as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). The California Employment Round Table (Cal-ERT) is comprised of volunteers from law firms, investigation firms, public and private employers, and other individual and entity organizations interested in its mission. The purpose of Cal-ERT is to create an awareness of the problems of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in employment in order to reduce discrimination and promote equal opportunity.