Governor Jerry Brown signed the New Parent Leave Act into law, which requires employers with 20 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected parental leave to bond with a new child within one year of the child’s birth, adoption, or foster care placement.

The California Labor Commissioner has issued a model notice of Rights of Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking, setting forth the rights and duties of employers and employees under the state’s domestic violence law.

California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”) has approved new regulations that expand the protections available for people who identify as transgender. The regulations also expand protections for gender identity and gender expression.

As of March 13, 2017, certain San Jose, California employers must offer additional work hours to existing qualified employees before hiring new employees, subcontractors, or temporary staffing and must prominently post a notice informing employees of their rights under the Opportunity to Work Ordinance.  

California is the first state in the nation to propose and enact standards specifically aimed at protecting health care workers against workplace violence.  Under the rules, all California employers operating health care facilities, home health care programs, drug treatment programs, emergency medical services, and outpatient medical services for correctional and detention settings must: (1) establish, implement, and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan; (2) provide training to address workplace violence risks that employees are reasonably anticipated to encounter in their jobs; and (3) comply with increased recordkeeping requirements. General acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals, and special hospitals must also report violent incidents to the Division of California Health and Safety (“Cal/OSHA”) within specified timeframes.