California's Captive Audience Law: What Employers Need to Know About Employee Meetings

California Governor Gavin Newsom is at it again - placing more restrictions on employers. Starting January 1, 2025, employers are officially prohibited from requiring employees to attend meetings intended “to communicate the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters.”

The law states that “an employer who violates this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of five hundred dollars ($500) per employee for each violation.” The law may be enforced by the Labor Commissioner, or a lawsuit may be filed by “any employee who has suffered a violation” for damages caused by an adverse action of the employer, including punitive damages. There will likely be a lot of cases in the future interpreting these provisions.

The main purpose of the law is to prevent employers from forcing their employees to sit in meetings where the employer wants to persuade employees from unionizing. It also prevents employers from forcing employees from sitting in faith-based meetings like a Bible study as part of their employment.

However, the law does not apply to a “religious corporation, entity, association, educational institution, or society” that is generally exempt under certain nondiscrimination laws. Further, it does not apply to 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.”

If you have any questions about this new law, please seek legal counsel or contact our law firm to seek specific legal counsel.