Starting on February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, employers must provide each current and new employee with a stand-alone written Workplace Know Your Rights Act Notice via regular communication methods (e.g., in person, email, or text). This notice requirement (imposed by Senate Bill 294) is in addition to any existing required Labor Code notices. The Labor Commissioner will release a template notice by January 1, 2026, update it yearly, and will publish educational videos by July 1, 2026.
Required Notice Content
The notice must clearly explain workers’ rights related to:
- Workers’ compensation benefits, including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, and contact information for the Division of Workers’ Compensation.
- A summary of employee’s rights to immigration inspection notices and protections against unfair immigration-related practices.
- Union organizing and concerted activity.
- Constitutional rights during interactions with law enforcement at the workplace, including Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections.
The notice must also include:
- New legal developments under laws enforced by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as identified by the Labor Commissioner.
- A list of enforcement agencies responsible for those rights.
Language Requirements
Employers must provide the notice in the language typically used for work-related communications and that the employee understands, as long as that version is available on the Labor Commissioner’s website. If not available, employers may provide it in English.
The Labor Commissioner’s template will be offered in Chinese, English, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese, with additional languages possible.
Additional Employer Duties
- Employers must keep records for three years, documenting when each notice was sent.
- Employers cannot retaliate against any employee who exercises their rights, files a complaint, cooperates in an investigation, or assists in enforcement under this law.
- Employers may share the Labor Commissioner’s informational video to supplement notice delivery.
Emergency Contact Designation
By March 30, 2026, employers must allow employees to designate an emergency contact or collect this information from new hires going forward. If an employee is arrested or detained at work—or offsite during work hours or while performing job duties (if known to the employer)—employers are required to notify the designated contact.
Penalties
The new law authorizes enforcement by the Labor Commissioner or a public prosecutor. Violations may incur penalties for up to $500 per employee, or up to $10,000 per employee for ongoing emergency contact violations.
Given the effective date of February 1, 2026, employers should start preparing compliant notices and updating onboarding/new-hire processes as soon as possible.
*Special thanks to CDF law clerk Daisy Chen for her research and contributions to this article.
