SB 399: Employer Communications, Employer Intimidation
Would prohibit an employer from requiring its employees to attend an employer-sponsored meeting about religious matters, political matters
By Chris Micheli, February 25, 2023 4:16 pm
Senate Bill 399 Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward) was introduced to prohibit an employer from requiring employees to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or participate in any communication regarding employer opinion. SB 399 would add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 1137) to Part 3 of Division 2 of the Labor Code.
SB 399 would establish Chapter 9, entitled “Employer Intimidation,” and would be known as the “California Worker Freedom from Employer Intimidation Act.” The bill would provide definitions for the terms: “employee,” “employer,” “political matters,” “religious matters,” and “rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Section 2, 3, or 4 of Article I of the California Constitution.”
The bill would prohibit an employer from requiring its employees to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or participate in any communications with the employer or its agents or representatives, the purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion about religious matters, political matters, or rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Section 2, 3, or 4 of Article I of the California Constitution.
The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) would be required to enforce this section. As an alternative, an employee would be allowed to bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for damages caused by that adverse action, including punitive damages, and for reasonable attorney’s fees as part of the costs of any such action for damages.
This new section of law would not prohibit:
- An employer or its agent, representative, or designee from communicating to its employees any information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of that legal requirement.
- An employer or its agent, representative, or designee from communicating to its employees any information that is necessary for those employees to perform their job duties.
- An institution of higher education, or any agent, representative, or designee of that institution, from meeting with or participating in any communications with its employees that are part of coursework, any symposia, or an academic program at that institution.
- A requirement limited to the employer’s managerial and supervisory employees.
Finally, this new section of law would not apply to:
- A religious corporation, entity, association, educational institution, or society that is exempt from the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- A political organization or party requiring its employees to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or to participate in any communications with the employer or its agents or representatives, the purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s political tenets or purposes.
An educational institution requiring a student or instructor to attend lectures on political or religious matters that are part of the regular coursework at the institution.
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Another radical leftist Democrat who has never started or run a business, this time Senator Aisha Wahab from Hayward, wants to dictate employers can run their businesses and manage their employees? Wahab wants to prohibit an employer from requiring employees to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or participate in any communication regarding employer opinion. Really? Wahab was born in Queens, New York City, to refugees who fled Afghanistan in the 1980s. Her father was murdered and her mother died soon after, leaving Wahab and her sister in foster care. They were adopted by an Afghan couple in Fremont, California, and moved to Hayward where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in political science at San Jose State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Cal State East Bay. Apparently, her business education was wasted as went on to work in non-profit organizations. Why doesn’t Wahab start and run a business to see how difficult it is? It’s sad to see refugees like Wahab try to turn the USA into a hellhole like the one her parents fled from?
Agree, TJ, and thanks for the bio of this legislator, which is eye-opening. It is truly mind-boggling the extent to which these legislators think they have the right to intrude in matters which are ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. Do they think Californians and Americans will forget that if they continue the bombardment of unacceptable proposals? Apparently.
Democrats fiddle while California burns. The state is failing and this is the best they can do? Or is it simply something they thought up in the bar.
Oh gee, it’s BIG of them to exempt actual religious and political organizations from this.
It’s like these Dem/Marxist legislators are on Mars they are so out of touch. Is it because they are much more ‘in touch’ with their destructive puppet-masters? Uh, yes, obviously.
What if(s):
An employer sends a company email about politics?
Calls a mandatory work meeting, but at some point during the meeting, the discussion turns to politics?
Calls an mandatory DIE meeting?
What good points, Gregory Brittain. The mandatory DIE nonsense especially. Maybe we should support this instead if the DIE training would be banned as a result. Of course it would not, but let’s pretend. DIE is wholly political (Marxist/Communist) AND it is religious, too. Because Leftism is a religion for the Left.