NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RIGHTS NOTICE. For many years, California Labor Code section 230.1 has required employers of 25 or more employees to provide employees who are victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault with time off to obtain medical, legal and/or shelter services and to attend court, and prohibits discrimination or retaliation for doing so. Beginning July 1, 2017, employers of 25 or more must provide employees with written notice of these rights — to all new hires and to other employees on request. The Labor Commissioner has developed notice forms in English and Spanish.

LITTLE DETAILS SAVE BIG DOLLARS — TIGHTEN UP MEAL-PERIOD TIMEKEEPING. Summertime is busy in Sonoma County (agriculture, retail, hospitality) and also vacation season, leading to short staffing and increased risk. A recently filed Sonoma County class action alleged a local company failed to pay overtime, failed to compensate for time spent changing out of protective gear, and did not ensure statutory 30-minute meal breaks or provide compensation when breaks were missed or interrupted — small individual violations that add up across 200+ workers.

California law requires employers to keep accurate time records showing when each work period (including meal periods) begins and ends. An employer need not ensure no work is performed during a meal period, but must do more than make a meal period "available": it must relieve employees of all duty, relinquish control over their activities, permit a reasonable opportunity to take an uninterrupted 30-minute break (free to come and go), and not impede or discourage taking it. Employers may not undermine a meal-period policy by pressuring employees to skip breaks. With appropriate policies, time records, disclosures and waivers, employers can demonstrate they satisfied their obligation to provide a meal period.

Originally distributed as a PDF bulletin. View the original PDF.