California State-Mandated Employee Leaves of Absence
We just worked with an attorney to rewrite our California employee handbook. For your enjoyment, here are all the state-mandated leaves of absence we are required to provide employees (most unpaid, but some paid) and for which we must write detailed rules in our employee manual. We'd likely provide most of this stuff anyway if asked, but the administrative hassle of having this all be a point of law (backed with the threat of expensive litigation if we make even the smallest mistake) is expensive and irritating.
- Family/medical leaves (including more restrictive California Family Medical Leave Act)
- Pregnancy disability leave
- Organ donor and bone marrow donor leave
- Military leave of absence
- Military spouse’s leave of absence
- Civil air patrol leave
- Drug/alcohol rehabilitation accommodation
- Time off for adult literacy programs
- Time off for required attendance at school of suspended pupil
- Time off for attending activities at child’s school or licensed day care facility
- Time off for duty as election official
- Time off for jury and witness duties
- Time off for victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking – obtaining relief for victim and children
- Time off for victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking –additional time for victim’s participation
- Time off for victim of certain felonies
- Time off to attend court proceedings for certain crimes
- Time off for volunteer firefighter, reserve peace officer or emergency rescue personnel duties
- Time off for volunteer firefighter, reserve peace officer or emergency rescue personnel training
- Time off for voting
- Workers' compensation leave
PS- this is not necessarily a comprehensive list and it is published at the risk of having a California lawyer see it and say "aha! They have forgotten time off for the death of a beloved hamster. Let's sue him."
Seattle Steve:
City of Seattle requires leave of absence for hangnails. Also just voted ourselves a pay raise, didn't even have to confront the boss!
May 2, 2014, 1:01 pmMingoV:
Time off for voting despite voting availability before election day and voting extending from early morning until nine p.m.
?Reserve peace officer?
Rehab "accommodation": sounds rather open-ended.
May 2, 2014, 3:19 pmJohn O.:
Generally the time off provisions are only for a few hours. They exist in most states and its for the benefit of people who have long travel times between their work and their precinct. Its generally not available to people who work less than 6 hours a day, as they're assumed to have the time to vote before or after work. Secondly the time off is not always paid. http://www.findlaw.com/voting-rights-law.html
May 2, 2014, 8:56 pmobloodyhell:
}}} "aha! They have forgotten time off for the death of a beloved hamster. Let's sue him."
GERBLEPHOBIA!!! Hostile work environment!!! Sue Sue Sue!!!
May 3, 2014, 7:21 amMatthew Slyfield:
Some lawyer in CA might be reading this. Don't give them ideas.
May 4, 2014, 9:08 amMike Powers:
This is the kind of rules made by people who haven't worked, and typically don't know anyone who worked, but they read "Grapes Of Wrath" in high school and it really, like, *spoke* to them, man, so they make sure that the laws protect the poor stupid field-hand workers from the evil jealous petty wrath of the bosses.
May 5, 2014, 9:39 am