§ 12950. — 12950. (Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 137.)

In addition to employer responsibilities set forth in subdivisions (j) and (k) of Section 12940 and in rules adopted by the department and the council, every employer shall act to ensure a workplace free of sexual harassment by implementing the following minimum requirements:
(a)
(1)
The department’s poster on discrimination in employment shall include information relating to the illegality of sexual harassment. One copy of the poster shall be provided by the department to an employer or a member of the public upon request. The poster shall be available at each office of the department, and shall be mailed if the request includes a self-addressed envelope with postage affixed. Each employer shall post the poster in a prominent and accessible location in the
workplace.
(2)
Post a poster developed by the department regarding transgender rights in a prominent and accessible location in the workplace.
(3)
Provide sexual harassment training as required by Section 12950.1.
(b)
Each employer shall obtain from the department its information sheet on sexual harassment, which the department shall make available to employers for reproduction and distribution to employees. One copy of the information sheet shall be provided by the department to an employer or a member of the public upon request. The information sheets shall be available at each office of the department, and shall be mailed if the request includes a self-addressed envelope with postage affixed. Each employer shall distribute this information sheet to its employees, unless the employer provides equivalent information
to its employees that contains, at a minimum, components on the following:
(1)
The illegality of sexual harassment.
(2)
The definition of sexual harassment under applicable state and federal law.
(3)
A description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples.
(4)
The internal complaint process of the employer available to the employee.
(5)
The legal remedies and complaint process available through the department.
(6)
Directions on how to contact the department.
(7)
The protection against retaliation provided by Title 2 of the California Code of Regulations for
opposing the practices prohibited by this article or for filing a complaint with, or otherwise participating in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing conducted by, the department or the council.
(8)
A link to, or the internet website address for, the sexual harassment online training courses developed pursuant to Section 12950.1 and located on the internet website of the department.
(c)
The information sheet or information required to be distributed to employees pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be delivered in a manner that ensures distribution to each employee, such as including the information sheet or information with an employee’s pay.
(d)
The department shall make the poster, fact sheet, and online training courses available in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, and any other
language that is spoken by a “substantial number of non-English-speaking people,” as that phrase is defined in Section 7296.2. The department shall make versions of the online training courses with subtitles in each language and shall orally dub the online training courses into each language other than English. Simplified Chinese shall be sufficient for subtitling purposes.
(e)
The department shall make the poster, fact sheet, and online training courses required by this section, and the corresponding translations, available to employers and to the public through its internet website in formats that may be streamed or downloaded.
(f)
Notwithstanding subdivisions (j) and (k) of Section 12940, a claim that the information sheet or information required to be distributed pursuant to this section did not reach a particular individual or individuals shall not in and of itself result in
the liability of any employer to any present or former employee or applicant in any action alleging sexual harassment. Conversely, an employer’s compliance with this section does not insulate the employer from liability for sexual harassment of any current or former employee or applicant.
(g)
If an employer violates the requirements of this section, the department may seek an order requiring the employer to comply with these requirements.

Legislative History

Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 137. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.