Last year, California expanded victims’ leave provisions with Assembly Bill (AB) 2499. AB 2499 required the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), which is responsible for enforcement of the expanded law, to develop and publish a written notice of employee rights under the expanded law by July 1, 2025. As required, the CRD published the new notice, which is available on its website. The notice is available in 13 languages in addition to English.
AB 2499 requires employers to inform each employee of their rights established under the expanded law in writing upon hire, annually, at any time upon request, and any time an employee informs an employer that the employee or the employee’s family member is a victim. AB 2499 allows employers to use the newly published notice developed by the CRD to satisfy this requirement.
The CRD also published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the updates to the law. The FAQs cover:
- General Questions
- Taking Time Off Work
- Safety-Related Reasonable Accommodations
The FAQs specified that certification for an absence under the law can include the following:
- Police reports
- Court records or other proof of court appearance
- Documentation from a supportive service provider
- A statement signed by the employee or someone acting on their behalf
- Other documentation verifying that a qualifying act of violence happened
Such documents, if provided, should be kept confidential by the employer unless disclosure is required by federal or state law, such as in response to a valid court order or subpoena. An employer may also disclose such documents if it is necessary to protect an employee’s safety at work, such as calling the police to report immediate danger.
