Compliance with California's Leave for Victims of Violence

Updated Policy Information

Any employee who is a victim or whose family member is a victim of a qualifying act of violence, may take unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks in any 12-month period for the following reasons:

• To obtain or attempt to obtain any relief for the family member. Relief includes, but is not limited to, a temporary restraining order, restraining order, or other injunctive relief to help ensure the health, safety, or welfare of the family member of the victim.
• To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain medical attention for or to recover from injuries caused by a qualifying act of violence.
• To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain services from a domestic violence shelter, program, rape crisis center, or victim services organization or agency as a result of a qualifying act of violence.
• To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain psychological counseling or mental health services related to an experience of a qualifying act of violence.
• To participate in safety planning or take other actions to increase safety from future qualifying acts of violence.
• To relocate or engage in the process of securing a new residence due to the qualifying act of violence, including, but not limited to, securing temporary or permanent housing or enrolling children in a new school or childcare.
• To provide care to a family member who is recovering from injuries caused by a qualifying act of violence.
• To seek, obtain, or assist a family member to seek or obtain civil or criminal legal services in relation to the qualifying act of violence.
• To prepare for, participate in, or attend any civil, administrative, or criminal legal proceeding related to the qualifying act of violence.
• To seek, obtain, or provide childcare or care to a care-dependent adult if the childcare or care is necessary to ensure the safety of the child or dependent adult as a result of the qualifying act of violence.

If any employee’s family member is a victim who is not deceased as a result of crime, and the employee is not a victim, the employee may only take a leave of 10 days under this policy. If the employee’s family member is a victim who is not deceased as a result of a crime, and the employee is not a victim, and the employee takes leave to relocate or engage in the process of securing a new residence due to the qualifying act of violence, including, but not limited to, securing temporary or permanent housing or enrolling children in a new school or childcare, the employee may only take leave for five (5) days.

For purposes of this policy, “family member” means a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, domestic partner, or designated person. “Designated person” means any individual related by blood or whose association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. The designated person may be identified by the employee at the time the employee requests the leave. Employees may only designate one (1) person per 12-month period.

For purposes of this policy, “qualifying act of violence” means any of the following, regardless of whether anyone is arrested for, prosecuted for, or convicted of committing any crime:

• Domestic violence;
• Sexual assault;
• Stalking; or
• An act, conduct, or pattern of conduct that includes any of the following:
  • In which an individual causes bodily injury or death to another individual;
  • In which an individual exhibits, draws, brandishes, or uses a firearm, or other dangerous weapon, with respect to another individual; or
  • In which an individual uses, or makes a reasonably perceived or actual threat to use, force against another individual to cause physical injury or death.

The Company may require proof of the employee’s participation in these activities. Whenever possible, employees must provide their supervisor reasonable notice before taking any time off under this policy.

Employees may substitute any accrued vacation, sick, or other time off for the leave under this policy. Leave under this policy does not extend the time allowable under the "Family and Medical Leave" and “California Family Rights Act” policies in this handbook.

No employees will be subject to discrimination or retaliation because of their status as a victim or whose family member is a victim of a qualifying act of violence. Any employee who is a victim, or whose family member is a victim of a qualifying act of violence may request other workplace accommodations such as a transfer, schedule modification, implementation of safety measures, or referral to victim assistance. The Company will engage in a good faith interactive process to determine reasonable accommodations, considering any immediate danger, so long as it does not cause undue hardship on business operations.