There have been reports of violence and harassment, particularly in the Asian-American community, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The California Fair Employment and Housing Act and Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibit employers from discriminating against or harassing employees based on any protected characteristic (including a person’s actual or perceived race or national origin). Additionally, threats or acts of violence based on a protected characteristic are illegal under the Ralph Civil Rights Act. On May 11, 2020, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) released a poster that employers may post in an effort to combat these hate crimes. The poster is available on the DFEH website, https://www.dfeh.ca.gov/covid-19-resources-and-guidance/, in 10 languages: English (PDF), Traditional Chinese (PDF), Simplified Chinese (PDF), Korean (PDF), Spanish (PDF), Tagalog (PDF), Vietnamese (PDF), Arabic (PDF), Hmong (PDF), and Punjabi (PDF).

FordHarrison is closely monitoring COVID-19 developments including associated federal and state legislation and reopening guidance.