The California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) has released an updated Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act (HWHFA) paid sick leave poster, and employers should make sure the most current version is on display.

The revised poster, available on the DLSE’s website here, reflects recent statutory changes clarifying how paid sick leave may be used alongside certain other protected leaves—a reminder that paid sick leave in California rarely operates in a vacuum.

What Changed?

In 2024, California expanded employee leave rights related to victims’ leave and participation in court proceedings, including jury service. Building on those changes, Assembly Bill 406, which Governor Newsom signed in 2025, made technical amendments to the paid sick leave statute to confirm that employees may use accrued paid sick leave during these types of absences.

As clarified by the updated law, employees may now use paid sick leave for additional purposes, including:

• Serving on a jury
• Appearing in court to comply with a subpoena or other court order as a witness
• Obtaining relief related to a qualifying act of violence to protect the employee’s (or their child’s) health, safety, or welfare
• Attending judicial proceedings when the employee or a family member is a victim of certain violent or serious crimes and their rights are at issue
• Obtaining specified victim-related treatment and services (for employers with 25 or more employees)

What Does the Poster Cover?

In addition to highlighting these expanded uses, the revised poster continues to summarize the core paid sick leave rules employers are already familiar with, including:

• Employees’ right to use paid sick leave for diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing health condition—or for preventive care—for themselves or a family member
• The prohibition against retaliation or discrimination for requesting or using paid sick leave

Your Action Items

Be sure you are displaying the January 2026 version of the HWHFA poster in a location where employees can easily see and read it. As with all required workplace postings, an outdated notice can create unnecessary—and avoidable—compliance risk.

Zooming out, this update is also a useful reminder that paid sick leave in California increasingly intersects with other protected leaves, court-related absences, and victim-protection laws. As these requirements continue to evolve, keeping postings, policies, and manager guidance aligned can be challenging.

If you have questions about paid sick leave, victims’ leave, jury duty, or related posting obligations, Shaw Law Group is available to help you stay compliant—and out of court.