As we’ve previously reported, the California Legislature last year passed and Governor Newsom signed into law AB 2499, which expanded existing leave requirements for California employers. Prior to passage of AB 2499, California already required employers: (1) to permit employees who are victims of certain violent crimes to obtain relief and (2) to provide such crime victim employees with reasonable accommodations for their safety at work. In relevant part, AB 2499 extended these protections to employees whose family member(s) are victims of the qualifying crimes, which include domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. (These expanded protections apply to employers with 25 or more employees.)
Employers are also required to provide such employees with notice of their rights under this law: (1) upon hire; (2) annually; (3) upon request; and (4) when an employee informs the employer that they or a family member is a victim of a qualifying violent act. After a long wait, the California Civil Rights Department has rolled out both FAQ guidance and the required notice text. The Frequently Asked Questions can be found here, and the English-language notice can be found here.
Employers should consider reaching out to counsel for guidance about how best to navigate the detailed requirements of this new law.