California has enacted the “Workplace Know Your Rights Act” (SB 294), a new law designed to ensure employees are fully informed about their workplace rights and protections. This legislation introduces mandatory notice requirements for employers and additional measures to safeguard workers from retaliation. The law takes effect on February 1, 2026, with further compliance deadlines throughout the year.
Under the Act, employers must:
- Provide a stand-alone written notice of specified workers’ rights to all current employees by February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.
- Deliver the same notice to each new employee upon hire and to any authorized representative annually.
- Offer employees the opportunity to designate an emergency contact by March 30, 2026, and notify that contact if the employee is arrested or detained during work hours or on the worksite.
The notice must contain a description of workers’ rights in the following areas:
- The right to workers’ compensation benefits, including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, as well as the contact information for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
- The right to notice of inspection by immigration agencies.
- Protection against unfair immigration-related practices against a person exercising protected rights.
- The right to organize a union or engage in concerted activity in the workplace.
- Constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, including an employee’s right under the Fourth Amendment to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and rights under the Fifth Amendment to due process and against self-incrimination.
The notice must also contain both of the following:
- A description of new legal developments pertaining to laws enforced by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency that the Labor Commissioner deems material and necessary.
- A list, developed by the Labor Commissioner, of the enforcement agencies that may enforce the underlying rights in the notice.
The Labor Commissioner will publish a notice template on its website by January 1, 2026, and update it annually. The Labor Commissioner will also develop educational videos for employees explaining their rights and for employers outlining their obligations under the law.
Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for exercising their rights under this law and violations may result in penalties of up to $500 per employee per violation, and up to $10,000 per employee for repeated violations related to emergency contacts. Employers are responsible for full compliance with these requirements, and enforcement may be carried out by the Labor Commissioner or public prosecutors.