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At the end of September, California Governor, Jerry Brown, signed multiple bills that designed to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace and also help victims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.
The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have brought the pervasive issues of workplace sexual harassment into the limelight. The emergence of cases from across all types of industries such as entertainment, politics, sports, and fashion, has propelled California legislators to address the problem with these new bills.
These California workplace sexual harassment bills that passed will:
1. Prohibit secret settlements and prohibit non-disclosure agreements. While the victims’ identity can remain private, but the perpetrator’s cannot.
2. Companies can no longer require employees to sign releases of liability as a condition of employment of in exchange for bonuses.
3. Expands the sexual harassment training mandate for employees.
4. Gives victims of sexual assault up to a decade to file for civil damages.
5. Prohibits Legislature from firing or discriminating against loves or lobbyists who file sexual harassment complaints. Also forces Senate and Assembly to maintain records of sexual harassment complaints for 12 years.
6. Lobbyist’s ethics training will have Legislatures’ sexual harassment policy information added.
7. Will require statewide audit of untested rape kits.
Governor Jerry Brown also vetoed a few proposals including a ban on forced arbitration as well as a change from one year to three years to file a sexual harassment complaint.
If you’ve been a victim of sexual harassment, assault or abuse, consult with an experienced harassment attorney. For more information, send us a message.
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