Co-Director Liz Morris presenting to California’s Civil Rights Council
On June 23, 2026, WorkLife Law Co-Director Liz Morris was invited to address the full California Civil Rights Council — the state body responsible for drafting and adopting the regulations that interpret and enforce California’s powerful anti-discrimination laws. The timing was significant: four of the Council’s seven members — including Chair Candice Cho — were appointed by Governor Newsom earlier this year and were attending their first meeting. For these new councilmembers, Liz’s hour-long training on California’s paid family and medical leave laws, pregnancy accommodation protections, and related civil rights frameworks was their first opportunity to come together as a council to discuss the leave and accommodations laws they are now charged with interpreting and regulating. California Civil Rights Department Director Kevin Kish also attended the meeting.
Liz’s presentation drew on WorkLife Law’s unique perspective: direct insight from our free legal helpline into the real-world barriers workers encounter when trying to access leave and accommodations, coupled with deep expertise on the laws and public policy solutions designed to dismantle those barriers.
During the question-and-answer period, Councilmember Jonathan Glater noted the Civil Rights Council’s role in issuing regulations interpreting the laws and asked Liz for her insights into “where the need for regulation is greatest.” Liz identified three areas:
- Modernizing regulations governing leave for pregnancy and caregiving that have not kept pace with what workers are actually facing, a picture WorkLife Law knows well from years of operating our free legal helpline;
- Bringing California’s pregnancy accommodation standards in line with federal regulations —protections WorkLife Law helped shape as a leader in the federal rulemaking process; and
- Extending workplace accommodations to family caregivers, recognizing that these workers need flexibility to show up fully for both their employers and their families.
Members of the public attending the open meeting who spoke during the public comment period shared the impact these protections — and the gaps in them — have had on their own lives.
California has always been a bellwether. What this Civil Rights Council decides will influence how states across the country approach anti-discrimination, paid leave, and accommodation protections for pregnant people and caregivers for years to come. WorkLife Law is proud to be a part of this next phase of progress from the very beginning.