After January 1, 2025, Assembly Bill 2499 put new requirements on how California employers treat employees that are victims of crime. The bill expanded the definition of “victim” to include not only individuals directly subjected to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, but also those who have experienced other qualifying crimes or abuse: including serious bodily injury, threat of injury or death, and crimes resulting in the death of a family member. The bill revises and expands leave protections for those victims. Next, the bill requires that all employers provide employees with written notice of their rights under the statute. Last, the new law requires companies with 25 or more employees to offer employees the same leave protections when one of the employee’s family members is the victim.

Now the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has issued the official model notice that employers are required to distribute.

What Does the Notice Cover?

The notice informs employees that are crime victims of their rights to:

• Take job-protected leave to:
  • Obtain medical attention or psychological counseling related to an injury or experience of abuse or crime
  • Participate in safety planning, including relocating or implementing protective measures
  • Seek services from a domestic violence shelter, rape crisis center, or victim advocacy organization
  • Attend court proceedings, including those related to protective orders, restraining orders, or other legal actions connected to...

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