Notice Of Rights Of Victims Of Domestic Violence Now Required For New Hires In California

Last September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2337, which, effective July 1, 2017, requires California employers with 25 or more employees to provide written notice of workplace rights for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Those rights, which include the rights to leaves of absence, accommodation and freedom from discrimination and retaliation, are found in Labor Code Sections 230 and 230.1. The new notice requirement is codified in Section 230.1 of the California Labor Code.

The California Labor Commissioner has posted a form that California employers may use to satisfy these notice requirements at the following link: Victims of Domestic Violence Leave Notice.

If an employer elects not to use the Labor Commissioner's form, a written notice must be provided by the employer that is substantially similar in content and clarity.

The written notice may be provided electronically, so long as new hires are able to freely access and print it without cost or restraint. A provision in an employee handbook that includes the required information also...