Victim's Rights

YOUR RIGHT TO TAKE TIME OFF

• You have the right to take time off work for jury service or to appear in court as a witness to comply with a subpoena or court order. All employees have this right, no matter the size of the employer.
• If you are a victim of violence, you have the right to take time off work to get relief (like a restraining order) to protect you or your child’s health, safety, or welfare. All employees have this right, no matter the size of the employer.
• If you are a victim of violence or the family member of a victim of violence, and your employer has 25 or more workers, you have the right to take time off work for any of the following reasons:
• To take part in safety planning or other actions to help keep you or your family member safe from future violence
• To prepare for, participate in, or attend civil, administrative, or criminal legal proceedings, such as a court hearing, related to the violence
• To seek, get, or provide childcare or care to a dependent adult if the care is necessary to keep the child or adult safe after an act of violence
• To care for a family member recovering from injuries caused by violence
• To get, or help a family member get, the following services relating to the violence: civil or criminal legal services; a restraining order or other relief; medical attention for injuries; services from a domestic violence shelter or program, rape crisis center, or victim services organization or agency; psychological counseling; mental health services; or housing, including relocating, securing temporary or permanent housing, and enrolling children in a new school or childcare
• If you are a victim of violence or the family member of a deceased victim of violence, you can take up to 12 weeks off work for any of these reasons. If you are the family member of a living victim of violence but are not yourself a victim, you may take up to 10 days off work for these reasons, with the exception of relocation, for which you can take up to five days.
• You may use available vacation, paid time off, personal leave, or paid sick leave to take time off for any of the reasons described in this notice.
• You must give your employer advance notice before taking time off, unless it is not possible. If you do not give advance notice, your employer cannot discipline you if you provide documentation to the employer within a reasonable time supporting the reason for your absence.

YOUR RIGHT TO CONFIDENTIALITY 

• If you are a victim or the family member of a victim, your employer must keep information about your request for time off or reasonable accommodation confidential unless federal or state law requires disclosure, or disclosure is necessary to protect your safety at work. If your employer plans to disclose information about you or your circumstances, your employer must tell you in advance.

YOUR RIGHT TO REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR YOUR SAFETY

• If you or your family member is a victim of violence, you have the right to ask for a reasonable accommodation to make sure you are safe at work. Your employer must work with you to see what changes can be made.
• Your employer can ask you for a statement certifying that your request is related to being a victim or the family member of a victim.

YOUR RIGHT TO BE FREE FROM RETALIATION AND DISCRIMINATION

Your employer cannot discipline you, treat you differently, or fire you because: 

• You are a survivor or the family member of a victim or survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, violent threats, or violence causing injury.
• You asked for time off work to recover from or get help related to the violence.
• You asked for accommodations to make sure you are safe at work.

YOU MAY ALSO HAVE PROTECTIONS UNDER OTHER LAWS:

• Wage Replacement: You may be eligible for wage replacement if you are unable to work because of your health or because you need to care for a family member with a serious health condition. State Disability Insurance (SDI) provides short-term wage replacement when you are temporarily disabled from working. Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides short-term wage replacement so you can care for a seriously ill family member, among other reasons. Learn more or file a claim for wage replacement by contacting the Employment Development Department (EDD) online (https://edd.ca.gov/) or by phone at 800-480-3287 (for SDI) or 877-238- 4373 (for PFL).
• Family and medical leave: Under the California Family Rights Act, you may have the right to take time off work for your own or a family member’s serious health condition or because of the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Learn more about family and medical leave by visiting bit.ly/CRD-leave. You can file a complaint with CRD if you believe your rights have been violated.
• Bereavement leave: Bereavement leave allows eligible employees to take up to five days off work within three months of the family member’s death. Leave does not need to be taken all at once. Learn more about bereavement leave protections by visiting bit.ly/CRD-Bereavement. You can file a complaint with CRD if you believe your rights have been violated.
• Leave to attend court for certain crimes: If you are a victim of certain crimes or the family member of a victim of certain crimes, you have the right to take time off work to attend related court proceedings under Labor Code sections 230.2 and 230.5. You can learn more information or file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner’s Office within the Department of Industrial Relations by visiting bit.ly/DIR-Retaliation.

TO FILE A COMPLAINT

Contact the Civil Rights Department if you have questions about your rights or to file a complaint: 

Civil Rights Department Online at http://ccrs.calcivilrights.ca.gov/s/

By mail at 651 Bannon Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95811

By calling 800-884-1684 (voice), 800-700-2320 (TTY), or California’s Relay Service at 711

CRD E20N-ENG / July 2025