One-line summary: California-specific civic-duty and emergency-services leave protections — paid voting leave (Cal. Elec. Code § 14000), witness/crime-victim leave (Cal. Lab. Code §§ 230, 230.1, 230.2 and Code Civ. Proc. § 1230), military spouse leave for employers of 25+, and unpaid emergency-services leave plus CA-only training leave.

California Civic and Emergency Services Leave

Voting leave (Cal. Elec. Code § 14000)

If you are a California-registered voter and do not have sufficient time outside of working hours to vote, you are entitled to take up to 2 hours of paid time off to vote.

• The leave must be taken at the beginning or end of the regular working shift, whichever allows the most free time for voting and the least time off from work, unless otherwise mutually agreed.
• You must give your supervisor at least 2 working days' notice before election day if possible.
• Submit your leave notice to your supervisor and HR at hr@launchindustries.biz.

Jury duty, witness, and crime-victim leave

California protects employees who serve as jurors, are subpoenaed as witnesses, or are victims of crime:

• Jury duty: Employers must provide unpaid leave; cannot retaliate (Cal. Lab. Code § 230(a)). Some employers offer paid jury duty leave as a benefit; coordinate with HR.
• Witness leave (subpoenaed to appear in court): unpaid leave protected (Cal. Lab. Code § 230(b); Code Civ. Proc. § 1230).
• Crime victim leave (Cal. Lab. Code §§ 230, 230.1):
  • Time off to attend judicial proceedings related to a crime in which you, a family member, or registered domestic partner was the victim.
  • For employers of 25+ employees: time off to seek services related to being a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

For each type of leave, notify HR (hr@launchindustries.biz) as soon as practicable, with documentation when available (subpoena, court order, victim-advocate letter).

Military spouse leave (Cal. Mil. & Vet. Code § 395.10)

For employers with 25 or more employees: spouses of active-duty military members on leave from deployment may take up to 10 days of unpaid leave during the qualifying leave period. (Launch is currently under this threshold; this is provided as a reference for when Launch grows.)

Emergency services leave (volunteer firefighters, reserve peace officers, emergency rescue personnel)

California-resident employees who serve as volunteer firefighters, reserve peace officers, or emergency rescue personnel are entitled to unpaid time off to respond to emergencies. Employers cannot discriminate or retaliate against these employees for performing their emergency duties.

Training leave (California only — applies at 50+ employees)

Once Launch reaches 50+ employees, emergency services personnel will also be entitled to up to 14 days of unpaid leave per calendar year for training related to their emergency service duties (Cal. Lab. Code § 230.4). (Launch is currently under this threshold; provided here for reference.)

Notice and documentation

• Notify your supervisor and HR (hr@launchindustries.biz) as soon as practicable when you need to take leave for emergency service duties.
• You are encouraged to provide documentation of your emergency service involvement upon returning to work.

If you notice any outdated information or typos, or need clarification on any policies, please email hr@launchindustries.biz.