On October 15, 2025, the California legislature passed the “Workplace Know Your Rights Act,” California Senate Bill (SB) 294. SB 294 requires employers to provide each of their California employees with a written notice detailing their workers’ rights.
The notice must be delivered on or before February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to all current California employees via their regular manner of communication (personal service, email, text message, etc.). After February 1, 2026, newly hired employees must receive the written notice at time of hire. If the employee is represented by a union, then the notice must be sent to that employees’ exclusive collective bargaining representative via email or regular mail.
The Labor Commissioner’s template notice satisfies all current statutory requirements, and employers are permitted to use the template in lieu of drafting their own. However, if an employer wants to create their own notice, it must include the following: (1) rights to notice of an I-9 inspection, (2) protection against unfair immigration practices, (3) Constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement in the workplace, (4) union organizing rights, and (5) rights to workers’ compensation benefits. The notice must also contain information about new laws or developments that the Labor Commissioner deems to materially affect workplace rights, as well as a list of enforcement agencies that may enforce the rights described in the notice.
The notice must be in a language that the employee can understand. The template notice is currently available in English and Spanish, with plans to offer translations in Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Below are PDF links to the currently available notice templates:
English: SB294 Know Your Right Notice
Spanish: Aviso sobre sus derechos conforme a la SB294
In addition, on March 30, 2026, SB 294 requires employers to give current California employees the opportunity to name or update their emergency contact(s) and state whether that contact should be notified in the event the employee is arrested or detained. After this date, new employees must be able to provide their emergency contact information upon date of hire, and also be allowed to update said information during the duration of their employment. Additionally, if the employee has requested that the emergency contact be notified of an arrest or detainment, the employer is obligated to inform the emergency contact if the employee has been arrested or detained at the worksite or, if off the worksite, during work hours or performance of their duties.
Noncompliance with SB 294 may result in penalties depending on the violation. Failure to abide by the emergency contact obligation can result in a penalty up to $500 per employee per day. An employer may also be penalized $500 per employee per violation for other offenses.
California Labor Commissioner Releases Amended Paid Sick Leave Poster
The Department of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) recently released an updated Healthy Workplaces/Healthy Families Act (HWHFA) poster reflecting the recent amendments to California’s paid sick leave policies over the past couple years.
For instance, in 2024, California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2499, which changed rights to employees pertaining to victims’ leave and attendance in court hearings and jury duty. In 2025, AB 406 made technical changes to the state paid sick leave statute to allow for employees to use paid sick leave for the reasons specified in AB 2499.
As of January 2026, employees are now able to use paid sick leave for the following reasons:
- Jury duty;
- Appearance in court via a subpoena or other court order;
- Employee is a victim of a qualifying act of violence defined under AB 2499 and needs relief for their personal health, safety or welfare, or that of their child;
- Attend judicial proceedings related to a serious or violent crime involving them or a family member;
- To obtain specific victim-related treatment and services (only applicable if employee works for an employers with 25 or more employees).
Additionally, the new HWHFA poster also states that employees may use paid sick leave for the diagnosis, care, or treatment of an existing heath condition or preventive care for themselves or a family member. The poster also clarifies that employers cannot discriminate or retaliate against employees who request or use paid sick leave.
The HWHFA poster must be displayed in a location where employees can easily see and read it. Also ensure that the poster is the most up-to-date (dated 1/1/2026). The current HWHFA poster can be found at the link below.
HEALTHY WORKPLACES/HEALTHY FAMILIES ACT OF 2014 PAID SICK LEAVE
If you have any questions about the new regulations mentioned above, and to ensure that you are in compliance, contact Navigato & Battin, LLP today!