CRD outlines 'Welcome In' business recognition pilot and expands public webinars

Lily Harvey, assistant deputy director for outreach and education, told the council the department is launching a three-year 'Welcome In' business recognition pilot required by AB 2448 (Civil Code §51.17). The voluntary program will allow businesses across California to apply for certification by committing to staff training, policy review, technical assistance calls and event participation; participating businesses will be listed on a public webpage and provided a certificate they can display.

Harvey said one required training in the pilot is a 30-minute interactive customer-service bystander intervention program called "How can I help you" that the department developed. Other pilot components include a model policy for employee handbooks, a prominently posted code of conduct for customers and staff, and evaluation through technical-assistance calls.

Harvey also described the outreach unit's work expanding accessible resources: a new webpage aggregating immigrant resources, a first FAQ on human trafficking and the department's enforcement authority, updated materials on source-of-income protections in housing, and FAQs on protections for cannabis users outside the workplace. She said standing monthly webinars have been run for about six months and have "maxed out attendance" with registration often double the number of actual attendees; registration typically ranges between roughly 15 and 300 per session.

Council members asked whether the pilot targets specific business sizes and which languages materials will be translated into. Harvey said the pilot is intended to be broadly accessible to small, medium and large businesses, and the department typically translates materials into the state's top five languages (Spanish, Korean, Tagalog, simplified Chinese and Vietnamese). The department will post program details and sign-up information on its website.