(a) An employer shall not do any of the following: (1) Discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee for taking time off to serve as required by law on an inquest jury or trial jury. (2) Discharge or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee, including, but not limited to, an employee who is a victim, for taking time off to appear in court to comply with a subpoena or other court order as a witness in any judicial proceeding. (3) Discharge or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee who is a victim for taking time off from work to obtain or attempt to obtain any relief. Relief includes, but is not limited to, a temporary restraining order, restraining order, or other injunctive relief, to help ensure the health, safety, or welfare of the victim or their child. (4) Commencing January 1, 2026, discharge or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee who is a victim or a family member of a victim for taking time off from work in order to attend judicial proceedings related to that crime, including, but not limited to, any delinquency proceeding, a postarrest release decision, plea, sentencing, postconviction release decision, or any proceeding where a right of that person is an issue. (b) An employer with 25 or more employees shall not discharge or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against an employee who is a victim or who has a family member who is a victim for taking time off from work for any of the following purposes: (1) To obtain or attempt to obtain any relief for the family member. Relief includes, but is not limited to, a temporary restraining order, restraining order, or other injunctive relief, to help ensure the health, safety, or welfare of the family member of the victim. (2) To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain, medical attention for or to recover from injuries caused by a qualifying act of violence. (3) To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, program, rape crisis center, or victim services organization or agency as a result of a qualifying act of violence. (4) To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain psychological counseling or mental health services related to an experience of a qualifying act of violence. (5) To participate in safety planning or take other actions to increase safety from future qualifying acts of violence. (6) To relocate or engage in the process of securing a new residence due to the qualifying act of violence, including, but not limited to, securing temporary or permanent housing or enrolling children in a new school or childcare. (7) To provide care to a family member who is recovering from injuries caused by a qualifying act of violence. (8) To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain civil or criminal legal services in relation to the qualifying act of violence. (9) To prepare for, participate in, or attend any civil, administrative, or criminal legal proceeding related to the qualifying act of violence. (10) To seek, obtain, or provide childcare or care to a care-dependent adult if the childcare or care is necessary to ensure the safety of the child or dependent adult as a result of the qualifying act of violence. (c) (1) As a condition of taking time off for a purpose set forth in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of subdivision (a), or subdivision (b), the employee shall give the employer reasonable advance notice of the employeeâs intention to take time off, unless the advance notice is not feasible. (2) When an unscheduled absence occurs, the employer shall not take any action against the employee if the employee, within a reasonable time after the absence, provides a certification to the employer upon request by the employer. Certification shall be sufficient in the form of any of the following: (A) A police report indicating that the employee or a family member of the employee was a victim. (B
‹ Prev All California sections Next ›
Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.