Workplace Protections

If you are a victim, your employer must allow you to use your vacation days, paid sick leave, personal leave days, or compensatory time so that you can file for a restraining order or take other actions to protect the health or safety of you or your children. Your employer is not allowed to fire you, harass you, discriminate or punish you (retaliate), for taking this time off.  This law applies to companies of any size with any number of employees.¹

There are additional protections under the law if your workplace has 25 or more employees. See What additional protections are there in larger workplaces? for more information.

Additionally, if you or your family member is a victim, you can ask for reasonable accommodations to help ensure your safety while at work. “Reasonable accommodations” can include:

• a transfer, reassignment, or modified schedule;
• a changed work phone number or permission to carry a phone at work;
• a changed work station;
• installing a lock;
• assistance in documenting domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another qualifying act of violence that happens in the workplace;
• implementing a safety procedure, or another adjustment to a job structure, workplace facility, or work requirement; or
• a referral to a victim assistance organization.²

To read about how to request a reasonable accommodation, go to What documentation is needed to request a reasonable accommodation?

¹ Cal. Gov. Code § 12945.8(a)(3), (g)
² Cal. Gov. Code § 12945.8(e)