4 new employment laws aimed at making California workplaces more #MeToo friendly in 2019

As the home of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and 13% of the national economy, California has good reason to take the lead on improving gender equity and reducing workplace sexual harassment in the era of #MeToo.

Last year, outgoing Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a number of workplace bills aimed at doing just that. Those laws, ranging from gender diversity rules for company boards to tougher restrictions on nondisclosure agreements, go into effect today. Here’s a rundown:

Women board members: All publicly traded companies whose main executive office is in California will be required to have at least one woman director by the end 2019. By 2022, boards with six people or more will have to have at least three women. Bill Text
Discrimination and harassment: One new law includes a number of provisions aimed at reducing workplace harassment, including sexual harassment. Bill Text
Nondisclosure agreements: Provisions that prevent the disclosure of information related to civil or administrative complaints of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and workplace sexual discrimination are now banned. Bill Text
Sexual harassment training: The number and type of employees required to take sexual harassment training has been expanded. Bill Text

[h/t San Francisco Chronicle]