What Employers Need To Know About Reproductive Health RightsUpdate #4: Employment Policies – Reproductive Health Rights Because employees have the right of freedom to make their own reproductive health decisions without interference from their employers, this law is required by law to be included in all Employee Handbooks and used in training.Men, women, and their families can be affected by potential reproductive hazards in their workplace. Your employees are your company’s most valuable assets. Keep them, and their families, safe by taking steps to protect them from reproductive hazards.Health & Safety Is Good For Employers Bottom LineHealthy employees are more productive than sick workers. Showing your employees that you care about their health and safety and the health of their families can improve morale and employee retention.Improving safety and health at your workplace can also save your company money. Research shows that successful safety and health systems reduce the costs of injury and illness, and have a high return on investment.What: Employees have the right to and freedom to make personal decisions regarding reproductive health including the timing of use of birth control drugs and devices, or medical services. These rights are now protected by the Equal Employment provisions of California law and employers may not discriminate on the basis of employee decisions. Employee handbooks must also contain a notice of employee rights and remedies regarding this matter.How: Employee handbooks, by January 1, 2018, need to be revised to include notice of the employee right to freedom to make independent reproductive health decisions and freedom from interference from employers. Employees have right protected by the Fair Employment and Housing Act. We can assist employers in reviewing their employee handbook for compliance with this and other laws.)Why: California enacted AB 569 which added Section 2810.7 to the Labor Code establishing protection for employee freedom to make reproductive health decisions, and required employment handbooks to include notice of these employee rights and remedies.Read more specifics about the importance of knowledge and promotion of training your employees on these important new laws.Reproductive Hazards Matter – For Men & Women– Men’s sexual function, sperm, or semen can be affected by some workplace hazards. Some chemicals can concentrate in semen.- Women’s fertility and menstrual function can be affected by some workplace hazards. When a pregnant or breastfeeding worker is exposed to hazards, her baby might be exposed too.- Both men and women can carry chemicals home on the skin, hair, clothes, and shoes. Some of these chemicals can harm the health of children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and other people in their households.- When a pregnant or breastfeeding worker is exposed to hazards, her baby might be exposed too.- Many chemicals in the workplace have not been tested to see if they can cause reproductive problems.- Laws for workplace safety and health do not always protect men’s and women’s reproductive health and the health of their families.Ways Employers Can Keep Their Employees Healthy & Safe1- Identify hazards in your workplace2- Follow health and safety requirements3- Create a smoke-free workplace4- Make a plan for pregnant and breastfeeding workers5- Request a health hazard evaluationasure software offers Human Capital Management solutions that make it easy for employers to manage employees and keep up with state and federal regulations. Our solutions help maintain the service level and familiarity of a small, family-owned business. Let us handle your human capital management so you can focus on running your business.If you have any questions about these updates, please contact us: 800-442-4988 or email: info@asuresoftware.com