Temporary Restraining Orders & Preliminary Injunctions for the Protection of Association Workers and Board Members

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In response to escalating violence in the workplace across the country, California enacted a statute that enables employers to better protect their employees in the workplace by permitting employers to obtain an injunction or restraining order on behalf of their employees. This law was enacted to establish parallel provisions to the civil harassment statute set forth in California Code of Civil Procedure section 527.8 to offer protection to “employees” of community associations in certain specific situations. “Employees” include association board members, community association managers, vendors and others for purposes of these restraining orders.

Purpose of the Statute

The purpose of the statute is to provide employers with a fast and relatively inexpensive means of protecting its employees from people who are violent or who threaten acts of violence against employees. In the association context, this protection allows employees to perform association business free of the fear of violence from those who seriously disrupt an otherwise peaceful community.

Often tempers will flare and disagreements will occur within an association when an unpopular decision is made. Residents sometimes show anger against board members, committee members, officers of the Association, management or maintenance people who are carrying out the decisions of the Board. These residents may try to stop a project or say inappropriate things to association employees. When these actions or comments consist of a violent act or a credible threat of violence, CCP Section 527.8 can be used to protect the employees. Unless the conduct escalates into violence or threats of violence, however, mere anger or inappropriate language do not constitute the type of conduct which calls for court action under this statute.

Who is Defined as an “employee” Under this Statute?

An association need not have traditional paid employ­ees to obtain the benefit of the statute. The following people qualify as “employees” under CCP Section 527.8:

  1. Board members, officers, committee members, and volunteers of an association;
  2. Paid employees of an association, such as maintenance workers and grounds keepers or other persons employed at the workplace;
  3. Most independent contractors and vendors, including Community Association Managers and those who work for association management companies;
  4. Anyone whose job it is to go onto association property to perform work of any kind, whether paid or on a volunteer basis; and
  5. All household members of an “employee.” There does not have to be a specific threat or act of violence toward each family member to obtain this additional protection.

Prerequisites to Obtaining the Injunction

  1. There must be: (1) an actual violent act; (2) a credible threat of violence; or (3) stalking of the “employee.” Mere harassment cannot be enjoined under this statute unless the harassment involves a course of conduct that serves no legitimate purpose and causes the employee to fear for his/her personal safety or the safety of his/her immediate family members. Often, the threatening conduct has gone on for months or years, but becomes increasingly more frequent and threatening over time. One extremely violent or threatening act or episode, however, may be sufficient for an injunction to be granted.
  2. The person to be protected must be an “employee” of the Association. Homeowners and tenants, who are not classified as employees under the statute, are not covered and must obtain their own restraining orders.

The Process for Obtaining the Temporary Restraining Order

Obtaining a permanent order protecting the employee is a two-step process. First, the association completes the necessary forms or paperwork and files it with the court to try to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) from the local superior court. This order is what the name implies; it is temporary, is granted on very short notice if the association shows that the employees has suffered unlawful violence or a credible threat of violence, and provides almost immediate protection to the employee. Once the TRO is granted, it must be personally served on the respondent for the order to be enforceable. After the TRO is granted by the judge, the court will hold a future hearing to determine whether to make the order more permanent. This hearing is generally held within 25 days after the TRO is granted. At that time, the association must be prepared to prove with credible evidence including witness testimony that the order should be made permanent or for a specific period of time up to a maximum of three years.

What Can TROs and Injunctions do for an Association and its Employees?

The kinds of protection that can be included in these orders include the following:

  1. All TROs and injunctions under Section 527.8 include the following standard language:

Violation of this order is a misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine, one year in jail, or both, or may be punishable as a felony. This order shall be enforced by all law enforcement officers in the State of California. Any person subject to a restraining order is prohibited from obtaining or purchasing or attempting to obtain or purchase a firearm by Penal Code Section 12021. Such conduct may be a felony and punishable by a $1,000 fine and imprisonment.

  1. In addition to the automatic order above, the orders may prohibit the respondent from:
  1. assaulting, battering or stalking the employee and other protected persons;
  2. attending any board meetings or annual meetings of the Association;
  3. following or stalking the employee to or from their place of work;
  4. following the employee during hours of employment;
  5. telephoning or sending communications to the employee by any means including but not limited to the mail, interoffice mail, fax, e-mail; or entering the workplace of the employee.
  1. The orders will often require the respondent to “stay away” from the employee. For example, the order may require that the respondent stay 100 to 300 yards away from the association’s community (if a non-resident), the employee or the employee’s family members, the employee’s workplace, and/or the school and workplace of the employee’s family members.

Conclusion

This legal tool should be utilized in appropriate cases after consultation with counsel. It is an important tool that can be used by an association to stop violent and abusive people from harassing, intimidating and threatening employees within the Association that serves no legitimate purpose and causes the employee to fear for his/her personal safety or the safety of his/her immediate family members. Utilizing this statute in the appropriate manner can assist in trying to maintain a safe working environment for an association’s workers, community association managers, and board members.

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