Effective July 1, 2017, California employers with 25 or more employees are required to provide to new employees upon hire and to current employees upon request notice regarding the rights of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. The new law is intended to provide covered California employees with information about their right to:
- Take off time to:
- Procure medical attention or services from a domestic violence shelter, program or rape crisis center.
- Obtain psychological counseling for these types of issues.
- Receive safety planning assistance.
- Secure a restraining order or other court order to protect the employee and the employee's children from domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
- Request and receive a reasonable accommodation to assist them in keeping safe from domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking at work (such as installing locks or changing a shift).
- Be free from retaliation for being a victim of these issues or asserting the right to time off or reasonable accommodation for these reasons.
The required notice is available in English and Spanish. Because the law requires employers to provide the information as clearly as the state's form notice, we recommend using the form notice at the designated times rather than relying on the information being included only in an employee handbook.
Affected employees who do not timely receive the notice could bring an individual or representative claim for penalties under the California Private Attorney General Act for a violation of the Labor Code.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.