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FAIR EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING ACT UPDATE
O r a n g e C o u n t y L a b o r & E m p l o y m e n t R e l a t i o n s A s s o c i a t i o n31st Annua l Labor & Emp loyment Law Conference
u
D
Phyllis W. Cheng | DirectorState of California
Department of Fair Employment and Housingwww.dfeh.ca.gov
Introduction
2013 FEHA Statutory Amendments.
FEHA Disability and Pregnancy Regulatory Amendments.
Significant FEHA Case Law.
Pending Legislation.
New Regulatory Projects.
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SB 1038 FEHA Amendments
Eliminates the DFEH’s sister agency, the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (Commission), operative January 1, 2013. (Stats.2012, c. 46 (S.B.1038), § 34, eff. June 27, 2012, operative Jan. 1, 2013; Legis. Counsel’s Dig., Sen. Bill 1038 (46 Stat. 2012) (Reg. Sess.) Summary Dig. p. 3.)
Transfers the Commission’s regulatory function to the DFEH Fair Employment & Housing Council. (Ibid.)
Ends administrative adjudication of FEHA claims. (Ibid.)
Provides for free mandatory dispute resolution by the DFEH. (Ibid.)
Authorizes the DFEH to file cases directly in court. (Ibid.)
Authorizes the DFEH to collect attorney fees and costs when it is the prevailing party in FEHA litigation. (Ibid.)
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DFEH Complaint
InvestigationDispute
Resolution
MeritFinding
ImmediateRight-to-Sue
Dismissed withRight-to-Sue
no yes
DisputeResolution
Prosecution
Judgment byCourt
Department of Fair Employment and Housing
EMPLOYMENT FLOWCHART
January 1, 2013
Settlement
Settlement
Settlement
DFEH Employment Flowchart
Employment19,691 Cases - 92%
Housing1,293 Cases - 6%
Ralph54 Cases - .5%
Unruh202 Cases - 1%
Disabled Persons Act21 Cases - .5%
California Department of Fair Employment and HousingCalendar Year: 2012
Cases Filed: by Law (21,261 Cases)
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Age - 40 or Over2,611
Association - Must be Used with Another Basis318
Disability - Mental and Physical7,289
Family Care937
Marital Status352
National Origin/Ancestry1,525
Basis Not Specified5,911
Other344
Race/Color3,436Religion
570
Retaliation4,454
Sex - Harassment4,012
Sex - Orientation858
Sex - Other Allegations2,844
Sex - Pregnancy1,059
California Department of Fair Employment and HousingCalendar Year: 2012
Cases Filed: by Bases (19,691 Employment Cases)
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Emp - Age - 40 or Over; 2Emp - Disability; 15
Emp - Family Care; 8
Emp - National Origin/Ancestry; 1
Emp - Race/Color; 2
Emp - Religion; 1
Emp - Retaliation for Filing; 2
Emp - Retaliation - for Protesting; 8
Emp - Sex - Harassment; 8
Emp - Sex - Orientation; 3Emp - Sex - Other Allegations; 3
Emp - Sex - Pregnancy; 10
Hous - Disability; 18
Hous - Familial Status (Children); 9
Hous - Marital Status - Single; 2
Hous - National Origin/Ancestry; 1
Hous - Source of Income; 2
Hous - Retaliation - for Filing; 1
Unruh - Disability; 19
Unruh - Race/Color; 1
California Department of Fair Employment and HousingCalendar Year: 2012
Accusations Issued by Legal: Count of Bases* (83 Accusations Issued)
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2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 201221
22
23
24
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BudgetBu
dget
Dolla
rs in
Mill
ions
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012160165170175180185190195200205210215220225
Staffing
File
d P
os
itio
ns
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 201216,500
17,000
17,500
18,000
18,500
19,000
19,500
20,000
20,500
21,000
21,500
22,000Complaints Filed
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20126,000,000
7,000,000
8,000,000
9,000,000
10,000,000
11,000,000
12,000,000
13,000,000
14,000,000
15,000,000
16,000,000
Judgments and Settlements
Do
llars
in M
illio
ns
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AB 1964 (Yamada): Workplace Religious Freedom Act. AB 2386 (Allen): Breastfeeding. SB 1381 (Pavley): Intellectual disability. FEHC Amendments to Pregnancy Regulations. FEHC Amendments to Disability Regulations.
Other New Amendments to the FEHA and its Regulations
Workplace Religious Freedom Act
AB 1964 (Yamada) Clarifies that an employer’s obligation to accommodate employees’
religious beliefs or observances includes accommodating religious dress and grooming practices, as defined:◦ " ‘Religious dress practice' shall be construed broadly to include
the wearing or carrying of religious clothing, head or face coverings, jewelry, artifacts, and any other item that is part of the observance by an individual of his or her religious creed.“
◦ " ‘Religious grooming practice' shall be construed broadly to include all forms of head, facial, and body hair that are part of the observance by an individual of his or her religious creed."
Clarifies that the standard for determining whether a religious accommodation poses an undue hardship is the same standard used for evaluating disability accommodations.
State expressly that an accommodation is not reasonable if it requires segregation of an employee from customers or the general public.
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Breastfeeding
AB 2386 (Allan)
Amended the definition of “sex” in the Fair Employment and Housing Act─which previously expressly included pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth─to also expressly include breastfeeding and medical conditions related to breastfeeding. The measure is declaratory of existing law.
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Intellectual DisabilitySB 1381 (Pavley)
Replaces “mental retardation” or “mentally retarded person” with “intellectual disability” or “a person with an intellectual disability” throughout specified California Codes.
Replaces “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability” in the FEHA’s definition of mental disability at Government Code section 12926
Declares that nothing in the bill be construed to change the coverage, eligibility, rights, responsibilities, or substantive definitions referred to in the code sections the bill amends.
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FEHC Pregnancy Regulations
In definition of “disabled by pregnancy,” expand non-exclusive list of medical conditions related to pregnancy.
Clarify that “four months” of leave means 17 1/3 weeks of leave. Clarify employer responsibilities regarding reasonable
accommodations and transfers. Add prohibitions against “perceived pregnancy” discrimination or
harassment. Amend notices required to be posted and given to employees
affected by pregnancy for employers with fewer than 50 employees (Notice A), and employers with 50 or more employees (Notice B). (Available at www.dfeh.ca.gov.)
Employers who choose to require medical certification must notify the employee in writing and provide a form for the medical provider to complete. Employers may develop their own form or use the template in the regulation. (Available at www.dfeh.ca.gov.)
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FEHC Disability Regulations Provide that “limiting” a major life activity means the condition makes
achieving a major life activity “difficult. Replace mental retardation with “intellectual or cognitive disability.” Provide more specific examples of mental disabilities such as: specific
learning disabilities, clinical depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder & obsessive compulsive disorder.
Provide standards for determining when a job function is essential, as well as examples of potential reasonable accommodations (e.g., bringing assistive animals to work, job restructuring, reassignment to a vacant position, leaves of absence, teleworking, reserved parking spaces). Also provide rules for assistive animals.
Cite the holding in Green v. State of California that the applicant or employee has the burden of proof to establish that he or she is a qualified individual capable of performing the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
Defenses: Danger to self & danger to health and safety of others; however future risk is not a defense.
Regulations available on FEH Council’s webpage at www.dfeh.ca.gov
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Holdings: The Supreme Court, Liu, J., held that: (1) FEHA liability requires proof that illegitimate
criterion was “substantial motivating factor” in the employment decision;
(2) same-decision defense limits an employee's relief to declaratory and injunctive relief, fees, and costs;
(3) same-decision defense may be proved by preponderance of evidence; and
(4) city's failure to plead “same-decision” defense did not bar jury instruction on the defense.
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Harris v. City of Santa Monica (2013) 56 Cal.4th 203 Mixed Motive/Same Decision Defense
Would provide that, in a claim of an unlawful practice under the FEHA, the employee prevails if the employee has proven that a protected characteristic was a substantial factor, as defined, in the adverse employment action. If an employer proves as an affirmative defense that it would have taken the same adverse action against an employee based on lawful reasons the remedies available to the employee would be limited as provided.
Would also provide for specified civil penalty to be paid by the employer to the employee, and for attorney’s and expert’s fees against an employer who violates these provisions.
Assembly Judiciary Committee.
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SB 655 (Wright) PendingMixed Motive/Same Decision
Would add “military and veteran status,” as defined, to the list of categories protected from employment discrimination under the
Would also provide an exemption for an inquiry by an employer regarding military or veteran status for the purpose of awarding a veteran’s preference as permitted by law.
Senate Appropriations Committee
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AB 556 (Salas) PendingMilitary & Veteran Status
Would include “familial status,” as defined, as an additional basis upon which the right to seek, obtain, and hold employment cannot be denied.
Assembly Judiciary Committee.
19
SB 404 (Jackson) PendingFamilial Status
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Would specify, for purposes of the definition of harassment because of sex under these provisions that sexually harassing conduct need not be motivated by sexual desire.
Assembly Labor & Employment Committee.
SB 292 (Corbett) PendingSexual Harassment
Changes without Regulatory Effect.
Selected FEHA Regulations.
California Family Rights Act Regulations.
New Housing Regulations.
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FEH Council Regulatory Projects
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