Last year, California enacted a law expanding employees’ right to time off and right to be accommodated if they or their family members are victims of violence. We summarized the law in our 2024 Legislative Update, available here. Among other things, the new law requires employers to inform each employee of their rights under the bill in writing. The law specifies that the Civil Rights Department (“CRD”) would create a form for such notice (entitled “Survivors of Violence and Family Members of Victims Right to Leave and Accommodations”), and that employers would not be required to comply with the notice requirement until the department posted the form on its website. On July 7, 2025, the CRD published the model notice, which you can access here. While employers are not required to use the model notice, they must issue a notice that is substantially similar in content and clarity to the CRD’s form. Employers are required to provide this notice to new employees upon hire, to all employees 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. California employers that have not yet provided written notice of the law should begin complying with the notice requirements.

The CRD also published new guidance on victims leave with responses to frequently asked questions, available here.

If you have questions about how this law affects your business or need advice about how to implement these new requirements, please contact us.

• Katie M. McCray (kmccray@wilsonturnerkosmo.com)
• Emily J. Fox (efox@wilsonturnerkosmo.com)

Wilson Turner Kosmo’s Special Alerts are intended to update our valued clients on significant employment law developments as they occur. This should not be considered legal advice.