SAN FRANCISCO EMPLOYMENT LAW BLOG

California has some of the best protections for workers in the United States. Among these protections are comprehensive laws that permit workers to take a leave of absence from their jobs under specific circumstances. In fact, state law treats time off of work as a reasonable accommodation in certain circumstances. 

However, it’s not always clear what counts as accommodation or when you’re eligible to take leave. That can make it difficult to exercise your rights and take the protected time off that you need. Here’s what you need to know about how leaves of absence work and when such leave may be considered a reasonable accommodation for disability under California law.

What Is a Leave of Absence?

A leave of absence is a period that an employee is allowed to be away from their job. This time can be paid or unpaid, depending on the specific circumstances and the employer’s policies. Commonly recognized types of leave in California include:

1. Medical: Often associated with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), medical time off allows employees to take time off for serious health conditions or to care for a family member with a serious health condition.
2. Disability: This pertains to employees who are unable to work due to a disability. California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) provides protections for such employees.
3. Pregnancy Disability: Specifically for employees unable to work due to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, offering up to four months of leave.
4. Paid Sick: California law requires employers to provide paid sick leave to employees who have worked for at least 30 days. Employees can use paid sick days for diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care for themselves or a family member, as well as for certain purposes related to being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
5. Parental: This allows parents to take time off for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child without pay but with job protection and continuation of health insurance benefits.
6. Jury Duty: California law requires employers to provide unpaid time off for employees summoned to serve jury duty. Employers are prohibited from penalizing employees for taking this time.
7. Kin Care: Under California’s “Kin Care” law, employees are entitled to use up to half of their accrued sick days to take care of a family member.

In California, if you meet the appropriate criteria, you can likely take unpaid time off from your job without losing employment.

When Is Leave Considered a Reasonable Accommodation?

In California, a leave of absence is considered a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) when it enables an employee with a disability to manage their health condition and eventually return to work. This accommodation must be provided unless doing so would cause undue hardship to the employer’s operations. Criteria for reasonable accommodations include:

• Disability or Medical Condition: The employee has a physical or mental disability that limits one or more major life activities, and the leave is necessary for them to seek treatment, recover, or otherwise manage their condition. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), this now includes temporary or permanent disabilities related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. 
• Employer Notification: The employee, or someone on their behalf, must communicate the need for a leave of absence due to a disability, providing sufficient information for the employer to understand that the time is needed for disability-related reasons.

Employers are required to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with the employee to determine the feasibility of the accommodation. This process involves discussing the need for leave, its expected duration, and any possible alternatives that could equally meet the employee’s health needs without unduly disrupting the employer’s operations. If the leave is found to be reasonable and does not place an undue burden on the employer, it must be approved as an accommodation. 

But what constitutes reasonability? Four key factors must be present for leave to be considered a reasonable accommodation:

1. Finite Duration: A leave with a defined duration, indicating when the employee expects to return to work, is more likely to be considered reasonable. Indefinite leaves, where no return date is specified, are less likely to be seen as reasonable accommodations.
2. Does Not Cause Undue Hardship: The time off does not significantly strain the employer’s resources or operations. Factors include the size of the organization, the nature of the work, and the impact on the workforce and costs.
3. Medical Documentation Support: The request for leave is supported by medical documentation that outlines the need for absence as a form of accommodation for the employee’s condition.
4. Allows the Employee to Perform Essential Job Functions Upon Return: The purpose of the time off is to ensure that the employee can perform their essential job functions upon returning to work, with or without other reasonable accommodations.

In short, a leave of absence is considered a reasonable accommodation in California when it is necessary due to a disability (including those caused by pregnancy or labor), does not impose an undue hardship on the employer, and is part of an interactive process aimed at facilitating the employee’s eventual return to work.

Le Clerc & Le Clerc LLP: Protecting Your Right to Reasonable Accommodations

Leaves of absence and accommodations for disabilities are integral parts of California employment law aimed at protecting workers while balancing the interests of employers. Determining what constitutes a reasonable accommodation, including leave of absence, requires a nuanced understanding of both the employee’s medical needs and the employer’s operational capabilities. If you believe you have been denied access to time off work as a reasonable accommodation, the skilled employment lawyers at Le Clerc & Le Clerc LLP are available to help you. Our San Francisco attorneys have decades of experience assisting clients like you to pursue justice and fair treatment at work, including reasonable accommodations and compensation for rights violations. Schedule your consultation today to discuss your case and take the next step toward a more equitable work experience.

The California legislature prioritized workers’ rights during the summer session, and you’ll likely benefit from it. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a wide range of bills into law in October that will come into effect between now and January 1, 2024. 

These new laws cover various topics that should impact every employee in California. Let’s break down the most important employment regulations you should know about for next year. 

New Protected Leave Laws

By far the area of law that saw the most expansion is the requirement for protected leave. California employers are already held to some of the most rigorous leave laws in the country, with guaranteed sick leave for most workers, widespread parental leave availability, and family and disability leave options. However, the legislature determined the current requirements did not go far enough. As of October, Governor Newsom signed two additional bills into law expanding the right to leave: Senate Bills (SB) 616 and 848.

SB 616 has been referred to as the Paid Sick Leave Expansion law, and that covers much of what the new law accomplishes. It raises the current required number of paid sick days per year from three days or 24 hours to five days or 40 hours. 

Additionally, SB 616 updates the requirements for sick leave accrual and carryover. Companies offering sick leave by accrual must grant employees at least one hour of leave for every 30 hours worked. They must also permit employees to carry over up to 40 hours of sick leave each year. These changes should help employees better care for themselves and their families without sacrificing their financial well-being.

SB 848 is just as important for families. It institutes a new form of protected leave for “Reproductive Loss.” Employers may not deny employees’ requests for protected unpaid time off work after experiencing a reproductive loss. This includes miscarriages, stillbirths, unsuccessful surrogacies or assisted reproduction, and failed adoptions. SB 848 provides workers with time to grieve and physically recover after an often grueling and traumatic loss. 

New Retaliation and Discrimination Laws

Two new retaliation and discrimination bills were passed into law this October. The first, SB 497, is invaluable for anyone who has faced workplace retaliation in California. The bill establishes a rebuttable presumption of retaliation if a worker is fired or otherwise penalized within 90 days of engaging in protected activities.

A rebuttable presumption means that the courts are instructed to assume something has occurred until proven otherwise. Under SB 497, state courts will assume that employers are retaliating against employees if they take adverse employment action against them within 90 days of reporting discrimination, retaliation, or equal pay violations. Employers must provide a legitimate reason for the adverse action other than retaliation, or the case will be decided in favor of the employees. This change makes it substantially easier for workers statewide to file retaliation claims successfully. 

Another bill that protects workers is SB 700, which institutes new protections for off-the-clock cannabis use. The law prohibits employers from requesting information from applicants or employees about their history of cannabis use to reduce the likelihood of unlawful discrimination against these workers. 

It’s worth noting one bill that was not passed. The legislature advanced SB 403, which was intended to make caste a protected class like race or religion. However, Governor Newsom vetoed the bill, stating, “Because discrimination based on caste is already prohibited under these existing categories, this bill is unnecessary.” In other words, he declined to sign the bill into law because caste discrimination is already unlawful. 

New Restrictions on Noncompete Agreements

A pair of new bills will make noncompete agreements not just void but illegal. In California, Business & Professions Code §16600 already renders noncompete clauses and contracts invalid and unenforceable. However, it does not prevent employers from including these clauses in new employment contracts, which may have a chilling effect on workers’ willingness to exercise their rights. 

SB 699 and Assembly Bill (AB) 1076 change this. AB 1076 adds §16600.1 to the Code, which makes it unlawful to add a noncompete clause in any employment contract and is retroactive to new agreements issued on or after January 1, 2022. Meanwhile, SB 699 states that §16600.1 applies to employment contracts signed anywhere in the country if enforced in California. It also grants employees a private right of action against companies that attempt to place a noncompete in new agreements. 

Public Prosecution for Labor Code Violations

Finally, AB 594 has been passed into law. This bill grants city and district attorneys the right to take civil or criminal legal action against employers violating the state Labor Code. Furthermore, it clarifies that employment agreements that prevent class action lawsuits or require arbitration do not affect public attorneys’ right to enforce the Labor Code.

This substantially expands the options for workers facing discrimination, retaliation, or other rights violations. Permitting parties other than the state labor commissioner to enforce the Code increases the likelihood that a given claim is pursued. It also ensures employers can’t avoid liability for labor violations through restrictive employment contracts. 

Stand Up for Your New Employment Rights

Over the next few months, the new laws above will be going into effect statewide. You will soon have more options if you have been denied protected leave, face retaliation or discrimination, or have an unlawful noncompete clause in your employment contract. 

No matter what mistreatment you’re facing at work, the skilled employment law attorneys at Le Clerc & Le Clerc LLP can help. Our team is dedicated to advocating for the rights of California workers. We can help you better understand your rights, determine if you have a case, and represent you in court. Schedule your consultation with our San Francisco law firm today to learn how we can support your rights. 

California’s laws regarding workplace discrimination have just become more employee-friendly. On October 8, Governor Gavin Newsom officially signed the Equal Pay and Anti-Retaliation Protection Act into law. This bill, officially titled Senate Bill (SB) 497, makes it substantially easier for employees to establish a retaliation claim in court successfully. 

Between SB 497 and California’s existing laws, it may be easier for employees to demonstrate retaliation than to prove discrimination. Below, we discuss how retaliation and discrimination differ, how the new law may make retaliatory actions easier to prove, and what you can do if you believe your employer has retaliated against you for a protected activity. 

Retaliation vs. Discrimination: How Are They Different?

Retaliation and discrimination are both ways that a company can violate its employees’ protected rights. However, the two violations occur in different contexts. 

Discrimination is taking adverse employment action or creating a hostile workplace because of someone’s protected characteristics. California law considered protected characteristics to include:

• Sex, gender, and gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Race, ethnicity, and national origin
• Religion
• Marital status
• Disability
• Citizenship
• Primary language
• Familial status and pregnancy

An employer cannot choose to fire, demote, cut hours or pay, or otherwise treat someone poorly because of these characteristics. If it does, it commits discrimination, and the victim has the right to submit a claim against them.

In contrast, retaliation is taking adverse action against someone because they exercised a protected right or engaged in a protected activity. The person’s characteristics don’t matter, just their behavior. Protected activities include:

• Participating in religious events
• Requesting or taking family leave
• Requesting reasonable accommodations for a disability or pregnancy
• Submitting a whistleblower complaint for discrimination or safety concerns
• Filing a discrimination lawsuit against the company

If a company penalizes an employee in any way for these activities, it may be retaliatory, and the victim could file a lawsuit. 

Why Retaliation Claims May Be More Successful

Proving discrimination in court is often a complex process. Most employers are well aware that discriminating against employees for protected characteristics is illegal. As such, employers that discriminate are often doing so unintentionally, which can make collecting evidence to prove a claim more difficult. Instead of collecting direct statements, plaintiffs may need to gather substantial evidence from the company to establish a trend of discriminatory actions or the creation of a hostile workplace. 

Historically, this was also true for retaliation claims. Workers had to build a strong prima facie case for their claim before it would be considered. This frequently made it difficult for employees’ claims to be taken seriously. 

However, SB 497 should make it significantly simpler to establish retaliation in court. The new law creates a “rebuttable presumption of retaliation” if a worker is penalized or fired within 90 days of engaging in specific protected activities. Covered activities include: 

• Filing a claim under the Equal Pay Act
• Filing a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department
• Reporting legal and regulatory violations to supervisors or other employees
• Submitting a whistleblower report to a government agency

If you do any of the above and your employer fires or punishes you for any reason in the next 90 days, SB 497 instructs the court to assume that it was a retaliatory action automatically. The responsibility to prove otherwise falls on your employer, which must prove that the action was a reasonable and non-retaliatory reaction to unrelated circumstances. Only then will you need to demonstrate that the action was retaliatory despite your employer’s reasoning. This makes it significantly easier to establish your case in court and seek compensation for your losses.

Furthermore, a retaliation claim can succeed even if a discrimination claim does not. You do not need to win or even pursue a discrimination lawsuit in court to experience retaliation. Regardless of the outcome of your discrimination claim, any punitive action your employer takes against you as a result is considered retaliatory and may be grounds for its own lawsuit.

Proving Workplace Retaliation Claims in California

If you suspect you’re experiencing retaliation, it’s worth taking action. Your employer’s actions have likely cost you wages, benefits, and career opportunities. You deserve compensation for these losses, and a retaliation lawsuit can help you pursue justice. 

SB 497 makes this easier. However, if your employer provides a reasonable non-retaliatory reason for the adverse action taken against you, you will need to prove that you experienced retaliation. Depending on your circumstances, you may accomplish this by:

• Collecting written communications: The strongest evidence for retaliatory action is a written statement by your manager or employer. These may include texts, emails, or other written messages. If you have received any threats or other communications stating that you will be punished or fired for engaging in a protected activity, save them immediately for use in your claim. 
• Talking to your coworkers: Another valuable form of evidence is eyewitness testimony. Even if your employer has not written anything down, your colleagues are likely aware of what’s going on. If you were verbally warned in front of others, or if your coworkers have noticed that you’re being treated differently, they can testify on your behalf. 
• Demonstrating a change in behavior by your employer: You can further support your case by showing that your employer began treating you differently after you engaged in a protected activity. If your hours were cut, your performance reviews dropped significantly, or you were fired shortly after requesting family leave, that strongly suggests retaliatory action.

If you believe you have experienced workplace retaliation, SB 497 now makes it easier to hold your employer accountable. We encourage you to reach out to the experienced employment attorneys at Le Clerc & Le Clerc LLP to discuss your situation. We can help you determine whether you have a case and the best path forward to achieve compensation for your losses. To learn more about how we can advocate for you, schedule your consultation with our California retaliation law firm today.