Less than two months after California’s New Parent Leave Act (NPLA) and the ban-the-box law went into effect, the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Council (FEHC) is proposing amendments to the state Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) to address these two new laws.
Baby Bonding Integration
The draft regulations integrate NPLA — which requires employers with 20 or more employees to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to bond with a new child — into the existing California Family Rights Act (CFRA). CFRA also provides for baby-bonding leave, but applies to employers with 50 or more employees.
The proposed NPLA regulations would include, among other things:
- A change to the required CFRA poster;
- An explanation on the use of accrued time during NPLA leave;
- An explanation of the relationship between NPLA, CFRA and other leaves, such as pregnancy disability leave; and
- Re-emphasis of the prohibition against retaliation for exercising the right to take a protected leave of absence.
Regulating Criminal History Checks
California’s new ban-the-box law prohibits employers with five or more employees from asking job candidates about any criminal background before a conditional job offer has been made. The FEHC’s draft criminal background check regulations are intended to set forth rules and procedures for when and how an employer can receive criminal history information about a job applicant.
Last year, the FEHC passed criminal history regulations that went into effective on July 1, 2017. Yet, the new California ban-the-box legislation is a broader prohibition on the use of criminal history information than the pre-existing regulations. This new proposal is an attempt to merge the new law with the pre-existing regulations.
Make Your Comments Known
The Council will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. on April 4, 2018 at the following location:
Junipero Serra Building
Carmel Room Auditorium (First Floor)
320 W. 4th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Written comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on April 4, 2018, and can be submitted via e-mail to FEHCouncil@dfeh.ca.gov or mailed to:
Fair Employment and Housing Council
c/o Brian Sperber, Legislative & Regulatory Counsel
Department of Fair Employment and Housing
320 West 4th Street, 10th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013
For more information on the proposed regulations, visit the Fair Employment and Housing Council’s website.
Gail Cecchettini Whaley, CalChamber Senior Employment Law Counsel
CalChamber members can read more about California’s New Parent Leave Act and Restrictions on Obtaining Criminal History in the HR Library. Not a member? Learn about the benefits of membership.
