Your Right to Clean Water, Restrooms, and a Safe Workplace

As a worker in California, you have a right to basic sanitation facilities like clean drinking water and accessible restrooms. Your employer is legally obligated to ensure your workplace is free from health hazards. Unfortunately, some California employers use shortcuts and fail to meet these obligations, risking workers’ health and safety. If this happens to you, it is vital that you understand how you can protect those rights.

What the Law Says

California labor laws require employers to provide basic workplace sanitation and safety standards. Workers are entitled to specific workplace conditions that protect their dignity and health. Below is a look at some of the rights employees in California have under the state’s labor laws.

The Right to Clean Drinking Water

Among the most basic rights you have as an employee in California is the right to access clean drinking water. California Labor Code section 2441 requires your employer to provide you with free, fresh, and pure drinking water during working hours. 

Some of the specific requirements under the law include;

• The water must be placed in locations that are readily accessible to all workers
• Water must be permitted at reasonable and convenient times
• Employers must provide single-service cups or a drinking fountain
• There must be a sufficient supply of water

If an employer places water far from the workstation, fails to provide cups, or, for example, asks you to drink from a garden hose, they may be violating the law.

The Right to Restroom Facilities

Employers must provide adequate and sanitary restrooms. In California, the number of toilets an employer must provide depends on the size of the workforce. Below is a breakdown of the minimum number of toilets required per sex as per Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.

• 1 to 15 employees of each sex: 1 toilet per sex
• 16 to 35 employees of each sex: 2 toilets per sex
• 36 to 55 employees of each sex: 3 toilets per sex
• 56 to 80 employees of each sex: 4 toilets per sex
• 81 to 110 employees of each sex: 5 toilets per sex
• 111 to 150 employees of each sex: 6 toilets per sex
• Over 150 employees of each sex: 1 extra toilet for each additional 40 employees

Not meeting these standards can create serious health risks when many workers share the same toilet.

The Right to Safe Working Conditions

California Labor Code and OSHA laws require employers to maintain workplaces that are free from recognized hazards. Employers must;

• Regularly assess the workplace for hazards, such as malfunctioning equipment and harmful substances, and take steps to correct the situation.
• Provide safety training to employees.
• Provide and maintain necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators and gloves.

What to Do if Your Rights are Violated

You have legal options if you believe your employer has violated your rights. Here are the steps to take to protect your rights;

• Document the problem
• Report the issue internally
• Contact an employment lawyer

Your California employment attorney can help you determine whether to file a legal complaint or lawsuit and how to proceed.

Contact a California Employment Lawyer

If you believe your employer has failed in their duty to provide you with basic sanitation facilities and a safe work environment, contact a California employment lawyer near you for legal help.