It’s that point of 12 months for my annual vacation rituals: gingerbread lattes, Black Friday gross sales and worker handbook updates! As we transfer into 2025, California’s authorized panorama continues to evolve, with a number of vital updates that ought to be mirrored in worker handbooks. Beneath are the important thing updates for the upcoming 12 months:
1. AB 2499: Expanded Time Off for Victims of Violence
Beginning in 2025, AB 2499 broadens the definition of who qualifies as a sufferer entitled to day without work for jury responsibility, court docket appearances, and associated actions. The legislation now contains victims, and members of the family of victims, of a broader vary of violent crimes. Particularly, victims of home violence, sexual assault, stalking, acts involving bodily harm or demise, the usage of harmful weapons (like firearms), or threats of bodily hurt are eligible for this day without work, no matter whether or not the perpetrator is arrested, prosecuted, or convicted.
Employers should present written discover of those rights to new hires and all workers on an annual foundation. Moreover, this discover have to be given any time upon request, or if the employer turns into conscious that an worker or their member of the family is a sufferer of one of many crimes outlined within the legislation.
2. AB 2123: Paid Household Go away and Trip/PTO Use
AB 2123 prohibits employers from requiring workers to exhaust their accrued trip or paid day without work (PTO) earlier than they will acquire California Paid Household Go away (PFL) advantages. This variation offers higher flexibility for workers looking for paid household depart.
3. Paid Sick Go away: Expanded Use for Victims of Crime
California’s Paid Sick Go away (PSL) legislation might be up to date to permit workers to make use of PSL not just for private sickness but additionally if they’re victims of against the law or want to help a member of the family who’s a sufferer of sure specified crimes. This growth contains conditions the place workers want day without work to cope with the aftermath of against the law, reminiscent of attending court docket proceedings or managing medical care.
4. SB 399: Ban on Captive Viewers Conferences
SB 399 prohibits the “discharge, discrimination, retaliation, or some other adversarial motion as a result of the worker declines to attend an employer-sponsored assembly or affirmatively declines to take part in, obtain, or take heed to any communications with the employer or its brokers or representatives, the aim of which is to speak the employer’s opinion about spiritual or political issues.” Accordingly, make sure that your handbook features a assertion that clearly outlines that workers can’t be required to attend the sorts of conferences coated by SB 399.
5. SB 988: The Freelance Employee Safety Act
Whereas this isn’t essentially a handbook replace, as most freelancers shouldn’t have entry to an worker handbook, it’s value a reminder that SB 988 requires that impartial contractors offering providers value greater than $250 should have a written settlement outlining particular phrases and situations of the engagement, specifying the scope of labor, cost phrases, deadlines, and different important particulars. Guarantee your contractor templates are up to date accordingly.
The vacations are rapidly approaching, so now’s the time to revisit your worker handbook and guarantee it displays these updates for a compliant begin to the brand new 12 months!