It’s that time of year for my annual holiday rituals: gingerbread lattes, Black Friday sales and employee handbook updates! As we move into 2025, California’s legal landscape continues to evolve, with several important updates that should be reflected in employee handbooks. Below are the key updates for the upcoming year:

1. AB 2499: Expanded Time Off for Victims of Violence

Starting in 2025, AB 2499 broadens the definition of who qualifies as a victim entitled to time off for jury duty, court appearances, and related activities. The law now includes victims, and family members of victims, of a broader range of violent crimes. Specifically, victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, acts involving bodily injury or death, the use of dangerous weapons (like firearms), or threats of physical harm are eligible for this time off, regardless of whether the perpetrator is arrested, prosecuted, or convicted. We blogged about it here.

Employers must provide written notice of these rights to new hires and all employees on an annual basis. Additionally, this notice must be given any time upon request, or if the employer becomes aware that an employee or their family member is a victim of one of the crimes outlined in the law.

2. AB 2123: Paid Family Leave and Vacation/PTO Use

AB 2123 prohibits employers from requiring employees to exhaust their accrued vacation or paid time off (PTO) before they can collect California Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits. This change provides greater flexibility for employees seeking paid family leave.

3. Paid Sick Leave: Expanded Use for Victims of Crime

California’s Paid Sick Leave (PSL) law will be updated to allow employees to use PSL not only for personal illness but also if they are victims of a crime or need to assist a family member who is a victim of certain specified crimes. This expansion includes situations where employees need time off to deal with the aftermath of a crime, such as attending court proceedings or managing medical care.

4. SB 399: Ban on Captive Audience Meetings

SB 399 prohibits the “discharge, discrimination, retaliation, or any other adverse action because the employee declines to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or affirmatively declines to participate in, receive, or listen to any communications with the employer or its agents or representatives, the purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters.” Accordingly, make sure your handbook includes a statement that clearly outlines that employees cannot be required to attend the types of meetings covered by SB 399.

5. SB 988: The Freelance Worker Protection Act

While this isn’t necessarily a handbook update, as most freelancers shouldn’t have access to an employee handbook, it’s worth a reminder that SB 988 requires that independent contractors providing services worth more than $250 must have a written agreement outlining specific terms and conditions of the engagement, specifying the scope of work, payment terms, deadlines, and other essential details. Ensure your contractor templates are updated accordingly.

The holidays are quickly approaching, so now is the time to revisit your employee handbook and ensure it reflects these updates for a compliant start to the new year!