Governor Brown Signs Two Transgender Bills into Law

Brown has been very busy this week! Among the many bills he signed this week, included two that will have an impact on employers. The first, Assembly Bill 433, the “Vital Statistic Modernization Act,”  makes the process for Californians to obtain, and update, birth certificates easier.  This will streamline the current process for trans people to receive a “new” birth certificate that reflects their “current” gender. Employers will have an obligation to update their records with any current documentation presented under the above circumstances. Please remember, these rights have been afforded by law and your obligation, as managers, and keeper of the personnel records, to maintain the privacy of the individual.

The second bill, Assembly Bill 887, is now known as the “Gender Nondiscrimination Act” and basically supports the current existing law (sexual orientation & gender) under the Fair Employment & Housing Act.  

Again, as I have stressed so many times during our seminars, it is not for us to determine the “rights and wrongs” of how people choose to live their lives. In the work environment, all personal bias must be put to the side and managers must ensure that all employees are treated equally.