2026 California Employment Law Updates
2. New Laws for 2026
A. SB 294 — Workplace Know Your Rights Act Notice
Employers must provide a stand-alone annual written notice informing employees of rights related to:
- Workers’ compensation
- Immigration inspections
- Union organizing & concerted activity rights
- Constitutional rights during law enforcement interactions
- New legal developments & list of enforcement agencies
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. Also requires employers to notify an employee’s emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained while at work.
Deadlines & Requirements:
- By Feb 1, 2026: Provide notice to all current employees (and yearly thereafter).
- At hire: Provide notice to all new employees.
- By Mar 30, 2026: Allow employees to designate an emergency contact if arrested or detained at work.
- Labor Commissioner will publish a template by Jan 1, 2026 (recommend not to use other templates).
- Enforcement by Labor Commissioner or public prosecutors.
- Penalties: up to $500 per employee, or $10,000 for failing to contact emergency contact and other violations.
Suggested Action Plan:
- Plan now for multi-language versions and distribution/tracking
- Add SB 294 notice to annual compliance checklist
- Use official Labor Commissioner template – not ones on the internet
- Update onboarding checklist & HR policies
- Train staff and track compliance
- Maintain records for 3 years
B. SB 513 — Expanded Personnel Record Requirements
Beginning Jan 1, 2026, the definition of “personnel records” expands to include any grievance concerning the employee and education and training records, such as:
- Employee name
- Training provider
- Date/duration of training
- Core competencies
- Certifications/qualifications
Employers must still comply with existing deadlines:
- 30 days to produce personnel files
- 21 days to produce payroll records