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.
On July 1, 2025, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) has issued the official model notice that employers are required to distribute. You can find it here:
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 the crime
- Handle other needs arising as a direct result of being a victim (or a family member of a victim), such as attending funerals, grieving, or resolving legal and financial matters
- Request reasonable safety accommodations in the workplace, which may include:
- Modified work schedules or location changes
- Installation of locks, implementation of safety protocols, or other adjustments to increase physical security
- Changes to phone numbers, email addresses, or other personal contact information
- Transfer or reassignment, if appropriate and feasible
- Be protected from retaliation or discrimination for:
- Taking or requesting leave under these provisions
- Requesting workplace accommodations for safety
- Disclosing victim status to the employer for the purpose of obtaining these protections
Again, when a company has 25 or more employees, these same protections must be made available to an employee when their family member is the victim.
Distribution Requirements for Employers
All employers must provide the CRD’s model notice in two situations:
- To all new employees at the time of hire
- To current employees upon request
Employers may use the model notice published by the CRD or create their own version, so long as the notice is “substantially similar in content and clarity.”
Next Steps for Employers
To ensure compliance, employers should:
- Download and review the model notice issued by the CRD. You can find it here.
- Incorporate the notice into onboarding documents for all new hires and make sure it is available to current employees
- Train HR personnel and managers on employee rights under AB 2499 and related Labor Code provisions
- Review and update relevant leave, accommodation, and anti-retaliation policies
If you have any questions regarding the CRD's new notice, please contact your favorite CDF attorney. To stay up to date, be sure to subscribe to CDF’s California Labor & Employment Blog.
*Special thanks to CDF law clerk Victor Weber for their research and contributions to this article.
