Working Safely in Extreme Weather

This week’s question comes from Danny T., who asks:

Q: “I work in construction and a lot of times I work outside in the heat and cold. Other times, when I am in the shack doing paperwork, they keep it way too hot, like 80 degrees. Are there rules about this that I should know — like, can they make me work in the rain, or send me home with no pay if it is too wet to work?”

A: Thanks for your question, Danny.  It is important to know your rights in the workplace.  You didn’t mention whether you were a member of a union but, if you are, the first place to look for answers would be your Collective Bargaining Agreement.  If that doesn’t specify relevant terms, or if you are not a union member, then regulations administered by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration would govern your situation.

I will address two issues you raise here: (1) Rules for working outside during weather events; and (2) Temperature requirements in indoor areas.

Working outside, as you know, creates a number of issues related to a worker’s health, safety and comfort, especially when workers are exposed to heat, cold, rain or snow. Heat illness can be deadly. In 2005, California became the first state to adopt a heat illness prevention standard to protect outdoor workers. Under California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3395, employers are required to provide employees who work outdoors with free and reasonably cool water, a place of shade, cool-down rest breaks, and training on how to recognize and prevent heat illness.  When the heat is more extreme, over 95 degrees, employers must implement special High-Heat procedures to monitor workers.

Cold weather can also present serious dangers to outside workers.  Cal/OSHA recognizes and warns of the dangers cold-stress presents, particularly hypothermia, frostbite and trench-foot.  However, unlike heat, there are no specific standards or requirements employers must follow at either the state or federal level. However, under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment that “is free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees.” California also has a catch-all standard, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3203, that requires most employers to establish and implement an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (“IIPP”).

These general standards are also applicable to rain and snow.  An employer can require that people work outside in the rain, but if the weather conditions make the outdoor worksite too dangerous, the employer has a responsibility to cease the work.  If the cancellation occurs part way through the work day, you may be entitled to “reporting time pay,” or compensation for 50 percent of the time you had been scheduled to work. This requirement is subject to exceptions for utility failures and “acts of God,” such as earthquakes. Unfortunately, if work is cancelled prior to the start of the work day, there is no obligation to pay affected workers.

There is also no current mandated standard for indoor workplace temperature at either the state or federal level.  The United States Department of Labor does, however, make a recommendation in its technical manual: employers should maintain indoor temperature in the range of 68-76° F, with humidity in the range of 20 percent — 60 percent.  The Cal/OSHA appeals board has also upheld citations against warehouse operators whose prevention program failed to address indoor temperature regulation, leading to employee injury. (National Distribution Center, Cal/OSHA App. 12-R6D2-0391, 12-R6D2-0378, Decision After Reconsideration (Oct. 5, 2015)).

The concern over the lack of specific rules for indoor workers is increasing.  In 2016, then Gov. Brown signed a bill directing Cal/OSHA to draft and propose standards for indoor worksites “that minimizes heat-related illness and injury among workers working in indoor places of employment.”  A draft standard was circulated to Advisory Committees in October of last year that proposed requiring employers, when indoor workplaces rise above 82 degrees, to provide cool-down places, make policies requiring or providing appropriate clothing, and implement training and a heat-illness plan.  However, this standard has not yet been enacted.

If you are ever asked to work in an environment that is unsafe, it is a good idea to document your opposition in writing to your employer and Cal/OSHA. The law protects workers who oppose unsafe working conditions: California Labor Code 6310 makes it unlawful for an employer to retaliate against a worker who makes this type of complaint.  If you do suffer retaliation for opposing an unsafe work environment, immediately reach out to a quality employment lawyer, such as those at Dolan Law Firm, PC.

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S.F. Allows for Flexibility in the Workplace

San Francisco is the first American city to pass a law in giving workers the right to request flexible work arrangements. (Courtesy photo)

This week’s question comes from Candice in San Leandro, who asks:

Q: I am a new mom and plan to return to work at a marketing firm in San Francisco next month. Fortunately, my mother-in-law will be able to take care of my baby most of the time, but she has to leave at 4:30 p.m. to go to work, so I will need to have a flexible schedule in order to be home by then. Do I have any right to request this kind of accommodation? Is there anything I should know about how to make the request? Thanks for your help.

A: Hi Candace, Congratulations on your new baby. There are many complicated decisions you have to make during this time of transition and I hope I am able to provide you some ease on this one.

We are fortunate in that San Francisco, which has always been on the cutting edge of employment mandates, is the first American city to pass a “right to request” law in giving workers the right to request flexible work arrangements. The San Francisco Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance (FFWO) took effect on Jan. 1, 2014 and applies to all San Francisco employers that regularly employ 20 or more people, whether or not all employees are located in San Francisco.

The ordinance provides rights and protections for qualifying employees who need flexible or predictable work arrangements in order to care for specific family members (spouse, domestic partner, child, parent, sibling, grandchild or grandparent) who are either (a) under age 18; (b) over age 65; or (c) living with a serious health condition (illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that requires either inpatient care or continuing healthcare treatment or supervision). 

To qualify, the employee must:

-Be employed within the City of San Francisco;
-Regularly work at least 8 hours per week; and
-Have worked for their employer for at least 6 months.

Assuming that you qualify under this local provision, you have the right to request a flexible or predictable work arrangement to care for your child. If you don’t qualify under the FFWO, you could still qualify for intermittent time off and/or flexible schedule under certain state laws, such as the California Family Rights Act and New Parent Leave Act.

Under the FFWO, a request must be in writing and specify the arrangement applied for, the date on which the arrangement becomes effective, the duration of the arrangement, and how the request is related to caregiving. The flexible arrangement may include modified work schedules, change in start and end times, working from home and telecommuting. An employee may make up to two requests in a 12-month period, unless the employee experiences a major life event, in which case they may make an additional request during that timeframe. You can find a sample FFWO Request form on The City and County of San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE)’s website https://sfgov.org/olse/family-friendly-workplace-ordinance-ffwo.

An employer must arrange to meet with the employee to discuss any FFWO request within 21 days after its receipt and must then provide a formal response within 21 days after the meeting. The employer’s decision must be made in writing and, if the request is denied, the employer must both provide the employee with a “bona fide business reason” for the denial and notify the employee of the right to request reconsideration. Should the employee request reconsideration, the employer must have a second meeting with the employee and issue a final decision 21 days after that meeting. Employers are further prohibited from retaliating against employees in any way for undertaking the FFWO request process.

“Bona fide business reasons” for a flexible work arrangement may include: identifiable costs, such as productivity loss, retraining or rehiring costs, or the costs of transferring employees; detrimental impact on the employer’s ability to meet customer or client demand; inability to organize work among other employees; or insufficient work time during the employee’s proposed schedule.

So, unless your employer has a bona fide business reason for denying your request, there should be no problem arranging for the modified hours you need to care for your child. If you do run into a problem, including if your employer fails to discuss the request with you or provide a response to the request within 21 days, or if you are retaliated against for making the request, you should contact a trial attorney to take appropriate legal action on your behalf.

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Lactation in the workplace

Set of restroom, nursing room, lactation room placard sign.

This week’s question comes from Ana in San Francisco, who writes:

Q: I am ending my maternity leave next week. I would like to send an email to my manager to ask about my employer’s policy on lactation breaks and request a private room where I can express milk for my baby. However, I am worried that I may be asking for too much since the company is small (only 25 employees in my office, but approximately 75 in the Bay Area) and I already took a lot of time off after giving birth for my recovery and for baby bonding. I do not have my own office and I do not want to pump in a bathroom stall, as I am worried that it would be unsanitary. I heard San Francisco has extra protections for nursing mothers. What are my rights?

A: Thank you for your question, Ana, and congratulations on your baby. I am glad you were able to take sufficient time after giving birth for your own recovery and for baby bonding. You are correct: San Francisco increased protections for nursing mothers and expanded the existing requirements for San Francisco employers under federal and California law beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

Under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (which applies to business of 50 or more employees), employers must provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for one year following the birth of a child in a private location other than a bathroom that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public.

California Labor Code requires employers to provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate employees who want to express milk for their baby and to make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with a room, other than a toilet stall, in close proximity to the employee’s work area.

Under San Francisco’s Lactation in the Workplace Ordinance (which applies to nearly all San Francisco employers, as there are no minimum employee threshold that may exempt smaller employers from coverage) the lactation location must also:

– Be available as needed

– Be safe, clean and free of toxic hazardous materials

– Have a place to sit, a table or desk or surface on which to place a breast pump and other personal items

– Have access to electricity, a sink with running water and a refrigerator

The lactation location may be designated for other purposes, but employees must be notified that lactation use takes priority over other uses for the room.

Moreover, the employer must maintain a written lactation accommodation policy that includes a statement of the right to request a lactation accommodation and the process for requesting accommodation. It must also state that, if in response to a request for accommodation, the employer does not provide the accommodation, the employer must provide a written response that identifies the basis for denial of the request and a notice that retaliation in response to a request is prohibited.

This policy must be distributed upon hire, included in any employee policy handbook and must be provided to any employee who asks about or requests pregnancy or parental leave.

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Reporting sexual harassment in the gig economy

Employers, gig or otherwise, can be sued for economic, non-economic, or punitive damages in the millions of dollars.
Employers, gig or otherwise, can be sued for economic, non-economic, or punitive damages in the millions of dollars. 

This week’s question comes from K, who asks:

Q:“I am female and I work at events that are staffed by Instawork, Wonolo and other gig agencies. We get gigs through these companies to work at various events. One of these events was being catered by a very famous gourmet company [name withheld]. The catering companies contact Instawork and Wonolo to send workers to provide bartender and waitstaff. Some of the gig workers provided by these companies are sexually harassing myself and other female workers by pawing into us. They usually walk up behind me and put their hands on the flat of my back, or down lower towards my butt. One grabbed my arm from behind. Some give you a pat on the back right where your bra is fastened. Sometimes, they brush against me in ways that are unwanted and inappropriate. This is happening not only to me, it is also happening to other women. It is sexually suggestive and doesn’t happen to the men.
I have reported this to the catering company. They say it is not their problem and that I need to contact Instawork. I have tried to make an anonymous complaint to Instawork but couldn’t get through without giving my name. I am afraid if I tell them they won’t send me to gigs anymore.
There is no clear reporting mechanism, a lack of sufficient training on harassment and discrimination, and little or no supervision by the companies who send you the jobs or the companies where you work. I have been putting up with this for years, and I am fed up. Can you write in your column what the law is so I can send it to the companies?”

A: Dear K, the emergence of the gig economy has led to an upswing of complaints such as yours. These companies believe that they owe their “gig labor force” none of the protections which cover full-time employees. Sometimes this is the result of ignorance, sometimes it is the result of the gig employers just not giving a damn about their labor force.

Sexual harassment can include verbal statements, comments, jokes, written comments, emails, “dick pics,” touching, inappropriate physical presence (sitting on a desk with crotch inches from the face, blocking freedom of movement, etc.) and other unwanted conduct. The key is that the conduct is unwanted and has its basis in sexual connotation or abuse of power.

Under California Government Code Section 12940(a) conduct arises to the level of sexual harassment “when the harassing conduct sufficiently offends, humiliates, distresses, or intrudes upon its victim, so as to disrupt the victim’s emotional tranquility in the workplace, affect the victim’s ability to perform the job as usual, or otherwise interfere with and undermine the victim’s personal sense of well-being.” It suffices to prove that a reasonable person subjected to the discriminatory conduct would find that the harassment altered working conditions so much as to make it more difficult to do the job.

Section (b) of 12940 states that even a single incident of severe harassing conduct is enough to create a triable issue regarding the existence of a hostile work environment if the harassing conduct has unreasonably interfered with the plaintiff’s work performance or created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. “The existence of a hostile work environment depends upon the totality of the circumstances . . . and the legal standard for sexual harassment should not vary by type of workplace.” 12940(c)&(d).

Pursuant to Section (j)(1), “harassment of an employee, an applicant, an unpaid intern or volunteer, or a person providing services pursuant to a contract by an employer . . . shall be unlawful if the entity, or its agents or supervisors, knows or should have known of this conduct and fails to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.”

A person “providing services pursuant to a contract” means a person who meets all of the following criteria: (A) The person has the right to control the performance of the contract for services and discretion as to the manner of performance. (B) The person is customarily engaged in an independently established business. (C) The person has control over the time and place the work is performed, supplies the tools and instruments used in the work, and performs work that requires a particular skill not ordinarily used in the course of the employer’s work.

Employers, gig or otherwise, can be sued for economic, non-economic, or punitive damages in the millions of dollars. It is also illegal to retaliate against anyone making a complaint. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions in discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases.

Send both the “gig” employer and the catering company a copy of this letter and hopefully they will take appropriate action. Make a paper trial so you can prove it was delivered. If they continue to ignore your rights, contact a good trial lawyer to take action on your behalf.

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California starts year with laws targeting sexual harassment

Around this time every year, I write a series of articles on California’s new laws: laws which were passed through the legislature and signed by the Governor Jerry Brown last year, but did not come in to effect until Jan. 1, 2019. This week, I will focus on a bevy of new sexual harassment laws which owe their origins, in part, to the #MeToo movement. In response to the recent exposure of rampant sexual harassment in politics, the entertainment industry, and business, California has continued to demonstrate an aggressive and progressive agenda with the passage of major legislation supported by several key individual rights organizations, including the Consumer Attorneys of California and the California Employment Lawyers Association.

The first of these bills, Senate Bill 1300, sponsored by state Sen. Hanne Beth Jackson from the 19th Senate District, amended the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the state statute already providing anti-discrimination and harassment protections for employees in the workplace. FEHA continues to hold employers, labor organizations, employment agencies, apprenticeship training programs, and other training programs leading to employment responsible for harassment of an employee or contractor by a supervisor or agent of the employer based on any protected classification, including race, sex, age, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. FEHA also continues holds employers responsible for harassment of employees based on protected classifications by any non-supervisory employee if the employer, its agents, or supervisors knew or should have known of the misconduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.

However, up until now, FEHA has held an employer responsible for only sexual harassment, but not other forms of unlawful harassment based on other protected classifications, of employees by non-employees, again in circumstances where the employer, its agents, or supervisors knew or should have known of the conduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action. SB 1300 now extends the scope of protection from non-employee misconduct to include not only sexual harassment, but any form of unlawful harassment, i.e. based on age, race, national origin, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. The amended law further expands the pool of workers protected against non-employee harassment to interns, volunteers and contractors. An employer who fails to put a stop to such harassment that it knew of or should have known about can be sued and held liable for both financial losses and other personal harms caused to the harassed, such as anxiety, fear, and humiliation.

SB 1300 has also cracked the code of secrecy: in every case I’ve settled, whether before or after trial, in my 25 years of employment law practice, the defendant employer has demanded a “confidentiality clause” to make it a “secret settlement,” often imposing significant financial penalties for any disclosure of terms. With SB 1300 in effect, it is now illegal to condition new employment, continued employment, raises or bonuses on an employee releasing of any claim or right under FEHA, including by signing a non-disparagement agreement or other document that would deny the employee their right to disclose information about unlawful acts in the workplace.

Next, SB 224, also sponsored by state Sen. Jackson, amends the California Civil Code to expand the reach of sexual harassment claims to cover non-employment relationships. These amendments allow a plaintiff to prove a cause of action for sexual harassment against a defendant who held themself out as being able to help the plaintiff establish a business, service, or professional relationship. The class of potential defendants under SB 224 include investors, elected officials, lobbyists, directors, and producers …. can you say Harvey Weinstein?

Finally, SB 1343, introduced by state Sen. Holly Mitchell, expands anti-harassment training requirements to cover both smaller businesses and non-supervisory employees. Previously, FEHA has required employers with 50 or more employees to provide at least two hours of prescribed training and education regarding sexual harassment, abusive conduct, and harassment based upon gender to all supervisory employees within six months of their assumption of a supervisory position and then once every two years. Upon implementation of SB 134, all employers of five or more employees must now provide at least two hours of sexual harassment training to all supervisory employees, as well as at least one hour of sexual harassment training to all nonsupervisory employees, by Jan. 1, 2020 and then once every two years thereafter.

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Defending the right to vote

This week’s question comes from Chris F. in Bernal Heights, who writes:

Q:“I worked for a design and development firm until November 2018. I was working on a project in the Martinez/Vallejo area and we had a really tight schedule requiring lots of overtime. I wanted to vote in the election and, a week before Election Day, I told my supervisor that I wanted to come in a few hours late so I could vote. My boss, who is really conservative, told me that I couldn’t take time off, which would be a good thing since there would be one less “lefty liberal” voting in San Francisco. I went to my polling station first thing on Election Day and learned I wasn’t the only one who thought it would be a good idea to vote before work. I waited for about 20 minutes, voted, and then fought traffic to get to work. Given our overtime, had I not voted in the morning I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to vote. I got to work an hour and a half late. My boss was really pissed and yelled at me. When I said I was voting to “make America great again” he told me I was fired for being a no-show. Can he do this? I thought that I had a right to vote.”

A: Chris, it’s amazing how some people want to “make America great” by taking away voters’ rights. Your gut instinct is correct: you should not be disciplined or fired for exercising the right to vote, one of your most fundamental rights. California Elections Code § 14000 provides employees with the right to take reasonable time off to vote, without loss of pay, if a voter does not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote in a statewide election. The law requires that the voter be allowed to take off enough working time that, when added to the voting time available outside of working hours, will enable the voter to vote, limited to two hours. The allowed time off for voting must be at the beginning or end of the regular working shift, whichever maximizes time for voting and minimizes time off from the regular working shift, unless otherwise mutually agreed. Section 14000(c) states that if a worker knows, or believes, on the third working day prior to the election, that time off will be necessary to be able to vote on election day, the employee must give the employer at least two working days notice. Collective bargaining agreement provisions, such as those contained within union labor contracts, intended to waive an employee’s right to pay for time taken off to vote have been held by the courts to be against public policy, contrary to express provision of law and invalid.

Your employer should not only have known and followed this law, he was also required to provide notice to all employees of their right to take paid time off to vote. California Elections Code § 14001 requires employers to, no later than 10 days before a statewide election, “keep posted conspicuously at the place of work, if practicable, or elsewhere where it can be seen as employees come or go to their place of work, a notice setting forth the provisions of Section 14000.”

It appears that you met the law’s requirements and, therefore, the conduct directed towards you was unlawfully retaliatory. An employer who terminates an employee for exercising their right to vote has engaged in “wrongful termination in violation of public policy.” A wrongfully terminated employee is entitled to recovery of economic damages such as lost wages and benefits, non-economic losses such as stress and emotional distress and, if the denial was the decision of an officer, director or “managing agent” of the employer, punitive damages.

Regarding your boss calling you a “lefty liberal,” indicating that he didn’t want you to vote because of your political leanings, that too is illegal. California Labor Code § 1101 states that no employer shall adopt or enforce any rule or policy forbidding or preventing employees from engaging or participating in politics or from becoming candidates for public office. Likewise, it prohibits employers from controlling or directing, or tending to control or direct the political activities or affiliations of its employees. This prohibition not only covers which political party you vote for, but also other causes related to matters of public concern. Much of the recent case law on § 1101 arises out of the history of Proposition 8 and the fight for marriage equality for the LGBTQ community. His reference to you being a “lefty” demonstrates that he took prohibited action against you based on your political leanings.

Chris, I suggest that you contact a trial lawyer with knowledge of employment laws to discuss your case.

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Avoiding Discrimination and Harassment at Holiday Parties

Every year, my firm receives multiple phone calls from people who have been the victim of some form of harassment or discrimination at company-sponsored holiday parties. Once again, the holiday season is upon us and we hope that, if everyone thinks ahead, many of the potential pitfalls can be averted so that everyone can enjoy the parties.

End-of-year holiday parties have a particular potential for sexual, religious, and other forms of harassment because a number of unique factors are at play at these types of functions. First, holiday parties often take place at a location away from the worksite. This factor alone can lead to the relaxing of the behaviors people tend to understand as “workplace appropriate.” The fact that people are interacting in much more social environment than usual also adds to the tendency for people to stray from workplace norms, a tendency often exacerbated by the often accepted use of alcohol at these events. This combination can be recipe for bad things to happen.

It is important to remember that, in addition to any individual offending employees, employers can also be held liable (1) if they have failed to take steps to prevent discrimination and harassment, (2) if they know or should know about the conduct and fail to promptly and sufficiently put a stop to the conduct, or (3) if when the harassment is done by an owner, officer, director, manager or supervisor. In addition to continuing to follow all ordinary legal requirements to inform and train employees regarding their rights and responsibilities regarding improper discrimination and harassment, employers seeking to avoid liability for victims’ potential economic losses, emotional recovery, and even punitive damages should be especially mindful to ensure professional boundaries are maintained throughout holiday festivities.

The good news is that there are many steps employers can take to minimize the dangers of harassment. Invitations and announcements for work-sponsored holiday events, for example, can and should provide explicit guidance that all harassment and discrimination policies in place at work are applicable to holiday parties as well. Supervisors can remind staff that although co-workers will be interacting socially, they must treat each other with the respect they do in the workplace and set clear guidelines for what is expected. Archaic traditions, such as kissing under the mistletoe, that serve to legitimize and trivialize sexual harassment need to be left in the past.

If the employer is hosting the bar, a limitation on the number of drinks can keep people from overindulging. No good has ever come from a person overdrinking at a holiday party. Another crucial step to mitigate potential problems can be making sure, in advance, that everyone has a safe way to get home from holiday parties. This simple proactive gesture might save an employee from getting a DUI and, equally important, ensure that an intoxicated worker is not harrassed or coerced to accept a ride home from someone with ill intent.

Another area of concern at holiday parties can be religious discrimination and harassment. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. People of other faiths should not feel pressure to participate in a religious-based holiday, or to have to explain why they choose not to. Most religions have a mid-winter holiday, so holding ecumenical festivities can be a way of respecting all employees’ cultural traditions while celebrating the end of the year together.

Finally, if the employer hosts a gift exchange or “secret santa” game at the holiday party, a clear understanding of what types of gifts are acceptable is imperative. Sexualized gifts may seem funny to some, but can be offensive and traumatic to others given their particular history of sexual harassment or abuse. Non-sexual joke gifts, too, can cross the line into illegal harassment. Just last year, my office proudly represented an African-American woman who was singled out to receive a particular gift at the holiday party: a purse with a confederate flag containing pictures of the employer dressed as President Trump with a sign indicated the south would “rise again.” Employers should take responsibility for ensuring that all holiday gifts are given in good will and with the same respect and sensitivity expected in the workplace.

When employers make expectations clear and plan ahead for the well-being of all their employees, it allows everyone to safely celebrate winter festivities together and ring in a new year of successful employee relations. Each employee can also help. Make sure you have a plan to get safely home. Don’t encourage overindulgence in alcohol. Think about how the gift you are giving may be received. Act with dignity and respect toward your co-workers.

 

Enjoy the party. Hopefully, this year Dolan Law Firm will not receive one of those unfortunate calls.

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Gender Identity Harassment

From Lindsay in San Francisco: A coworker with whom I work closely recently began his social transition from presenting as the sex he was incorrectly assigned at birth to his true gender identity. Most of our colleagues have been respectful and encouraging during this process but there is one older woman who refuses to use my transitioning coworker’s correct name and pronouns and occasionally makes other demeaning remarks. The woman’s offensive comments are distracting and make me uncomfortable, but I’m really concerned that my transitioning coworker will feel so ostracized that he will end up quitting the job rather than deal with daily harassment. Should I share my observations with HR?

Lindsay, it is distressing to hear about your coworker’s alienating experiences at work as a result of his gender identity and expression. Fortunately, California’s employment discrimination laws protect employees against this kind of harassment and have been updated in the past two years to clarify and strengthen these protections.

Discrimination and harassment based on sex and gender is prohibited under the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”). Since 2011, FEHA has specifically included “gender identity” and “gender expression” as traits for which employees are protected from unlawful discrimination and harassment. Last year, the California Fair Employment and Housing Council promulgated detailed regulations to clarify how protections based on gender identity and expression should be applied. Finally, effective January 1, 2018, all employers are required to conspicuously post a state-approved “Transgender Rights in the Workplace” poster and employers with 50 or more employees must include units on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation in mandatory sex discrimination trainings.

Under the 2017 regulations, gender identity is defined as a person’s “internal understanding of their gender,” including “male, female, a combination of male and female, neither male nor female, a gender different from the person’s sex assigned at birth and transgender,” whether or not expressed in the employee’s external presentation. The regulations also specifically protect those in transition, perceived to be transitioning, or who have already transitioned, with “transitioning” defined as a process in which an individual begins living as the gender with which they identify, including changes in name usage, facility usage, participation in employer-sponsored activities, as well as any relevant medical procedures. Among its protections against discrimination, the regulations proscribe employers requiring gender documentation or imposing job duties, dress standards, or facility usage inconsistent with an employee’s gender identity or expression, except in very limited circumstances.

As discussed in previous columns, FEHA forbids workplace sexual harassment both in the form of “quid pro quo” offers or threats contingent on sexual favors and the much broader category of “hostile work environment” harassment. A hostile work environment may be created even in the absence of any specific adverse employment action when unwelcome conduct based on sex or gender either unreasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance or creates a workplace that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to a reasonable person in the employee’s shoes. A given conduct’s lawfulness is evaluated using all relevant circumstances and can be exacerbated by individual attributes such as a history of related abuse. Both the harasser and victim may be of any gender identity and the behavior need not motivated by sexual desire. Indeed, the complaining employee need not even be the intended target of the harassing conduct; a mere witness like yourself may have standing if they personally witness conduct such that their immediate work environment is permeated by sexual harassment.

As you can see, California law does prohibit the kind of harassment your transitioning coworker has been suffering if the colleague’s insults and misuse of former name and pronouns are pervasive enough to impact the workplace atmosphere or affect the complaining employee’s job performance. Generally, the “pervasive” standard requires that the harassment not be occasional, isolated, sporadic, or trivial and to either (1) have become part of the employee’s daily or weekly work routine, (2) undermine their ability to perform their job, or (3) cause them persistent distress. In your question, you indicate that you worry your coworker might quit his job to avoid the regular distress he experiences, a situation known as constructive discharge. He may indeed have a strong claim against the harasser and possibly your employer, if they have not undertaken all legally required duties to prevent harassment and promptly correct unlawful behavior of which they should reasonably be aware. A successful case will require the assistance of an experienced employment law attorney.

In the meantime, you should certainly encourage your HR department to look into the matter and reaffirm that your employer has duly updated its employee manual, workplace rights posters and, if the company employs 50 or more employees, mandated manager training curriculum in conformance with current California law.

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The Grey Area Of Workplace Discrimination

Kate from San Mateo writes: Working in the male-dominated tech field can feel like navigating a proverbial “boys club.” I often feel pressured to participate in rowdy after-work social hours in order to build and maintain relationships with prospective mentors, and sometimes overhear talk of male coworkers’ latest rounds of golf with a mutual supervisor. I don’t know whether my career has been directly impacted by the social alienation I experience, but I can’t help but suspect that it might be. Do employment discrimination laws cover this kind of professional fraternizing? What can I do to change this discriminatory culture within my organization?

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