New Notice Requirement Addresses Victims of Crime in California

by Heather Amaral

On July 1, 2025, the Civil Rights Department (CRD) published the official model notice outlining the expanded protections for employees who are victims of crimes – protections that were enacted earlier this year under Assembly Bill 2499 (AB 2499).

A Refresher on AB 2499

Employees in California who are crime victims have long been entitled to protections, such as time off for court appearances and reasonable accommodation to maximize their safety while at work. Not only did AB 2499 expand the definition of who qualifies as a crime victim, it also added additional reasons for which leave may be taken, and extended these protections to employees whose family member is a victim of a qualifying crime.

Expanded Definition of “Victim”

AB 2499 expands the previous leave and accommodation protections provided under the Labor Code by replacing “crime or abuse” with the term “qualifying acts of violence,” which encompasses any of the following, regardless of whether there is an arrest, prosecution, or conviction:

  • Domestic Violence
  • Sexual Assault
  • Stalking
  • An act, conduct, or pattern of conduct that includes:
    • An individual causing bodily injury to another individual
    • An individual exhibiting, drawing, brandishing, or using a firearm or other dangerous weapon against another person
    • An individual using or making a reasonably perceived or actual threat to use force against another individual to cause physical injury or death.

This expanded definition applies to both leave protections and workplace accommodations.

Expanded Rights & Protections

Job-Protected Leave

Employees—and, in businesses with 25+ employees, those whose family members are victims—can take job-protected time off to:

  • Seek medical or psychological care
  • Relocate or make safety plans
  • Access support services (e.g., shelters, crisis centers)
  • Attend court proceedings
  • Address related legal, financial, or administrative matters

Workplace Safety Accommodations

Employees can also request reasonable accommodations to improve safety at work. Examples include:

  • Modifications to work schedules or job location
  • Security upgrades (locks, escorts, ID badge changes)
  • Updates to contact information
  • Transfers or reassignments, when feasible

Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for requesting leave or accommodations under this law.

Protections for Family Members of Victims

For businesses with 25 or more employees, the above rights also apply if an employee’s family member is the victim of a qualifying crime. Family member is defined as a child, parent, grandparent, sibling, spouse, domestic partner, or designated person.

Notice Requirements as of July 1, 2025

The law requires that employers distribute a notice in writing, informing them of these rights. The notice must be provided at an employee’s time of hire, annually thereafter, at any time upon request, and any time you are informed that the employee or their qualifying family member is a victim. The CRD’s model notice can be found here.  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.”