(a)  Each public employer described in subdivision (a) of Section 3555.5 shall provide the exclusive representative mandatory access to its new employee orientations. The exclusive representative shall receive not less than 10 days’ notice in advance of an orientation, except that a shorter notice may be provided in a specific instance where there is an urgent need critical to the employer’s operations that was not reasonably foreseeable. The structure, time, and manner of exclusive representative access shall be determined through mutual agreement between the employer and the exclusive representative, subject to the requirements of Section 3557, and the agreement may expressly waive or modify requirements set forth in this section. The date, time, and place of the orientation shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the employees, the exclusive representative, or a vendor that is contracted to provide a service for purposes of the orientation.

(b) If the public employer has not conducted an inperson new employee orientation within 30 days of a newly hired employee’s start date, and the new employee is working in person, the exclusive representative shall be entitled to schedule an inperson meeting at the worksite during employment hours, during which newly hired employees shall have the opportunity to attend and shall be relieved of other duties for the purpose of attending the meeting. During this meeting, the exclusive representative shall be permitted to communicate directly with newly hired employees in the applicable bargaining unit for up to 30 minutes on paid time. Employers shall provide appropriate on-site meeting space within seven calendar days of receiving a request from the exclusive representative. This section does not prohibit an employer from agreeing with an exclusive representative to provide more than 30 minutes of paid time for communicating with newly hired employees pursuant to this section.

(c) If the state or a local public health agency issues an order limiting the size of gatherings, the exclusive representative may schedule multiple meetings to ensure that newly hired employees have the opportunity to attend without exceeding the maximum allowable number of people. If such an order prohibits all gatherings, the exclusive representative may schedule a meeting or meetings once the order is lifted or modified to permit gatherings. Alternative access pursuant to these provisions shall be determined through mutual agreement between the employer and the exclusive representative.

(d) This section shall remain in effect only until June 30, 2025, and as of that date is repealed.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 67, Sec. 1. (SB 191) Effective June 30, 2022. Repealed as of June 30, 2025, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 2 of Stats. 2022, Ch. 67.)