California Publishes New ‘Workplace Know Your Rights Act’ Model Notice
SB 294 requires employers to provide a new notice of worker rights to employees upon hire and annually thereafter, beginning February 1, 2026. As discussed in this Cooley alert, the notice must include information regarding various workers’ rights, including workers’ compensation benefits, the right to notice of immigration inspections, protections against unfair immigration practices, the right to organize and constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at work. It is also required to include information on new legal developments pertaining to laws enforced by the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency and a list of enforcement agencies that may enforce underlying rights in the notice.
The California Labor Commissioner just released its model notice, available here in English and available here in Spanish, with versions in additional languages forthcoming, including Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. Employers must provide the notice to employees in a language the employer normally uses with the employees when discussing business, which should be a language employees understand. If the template notice is not available in that language, then the notice may be provided in English. Under SB 294, the California Labor Commissioner will post an updated template notice annually. By July 1, 2026, the California Labor Commissioner will also post a video for employers advising them of their rights and requirements under the Workplace Know Your Rights Act.
As a reminder, employers also have additional obligations under SB 294. By March 30, 2026 (or at hire for new employees after that date), employers must give employees the opportunity to name an emergency contact and to indicate whether the emergency contact should be notified when the employee is arrested or detained at work or during work hours if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention.
Next steps
Employers should ensure that they distribute the new notice to all employees and new hires. Employers should also maintain records regarding the date each notice is sent and ensure they replace the notice on an annual basis as the state updates the form.
If you have any questions about this law or how to comply, please contact the Cooley employment team or one of the lawyers listed below.
Related Contacts
This content is provided for general informational purposes only, and your access or use of the content does not create an attorney-client relationship between you or your organization and Cooley LLP, Cooley (UK) LLP, or any other affiliated practice or entity (collectively referred to as "Cooley"). By accessing this content, you agree that the information provided does not constitute legal or other professional advice. This content is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction, and you should not act or refrain from acting based on this content. This content may be changed without notice. It is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up to date, and it may not reflect the most current legal developments. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Do not send any confidential information to Cooley, as we do not have any duty to keep any information you provide to us confidential. When advising companies, our attorney-client relationship is with the company, not with any individual. This content may have been generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence (Al) in accordance with our Al Principles, may be considered Attorney Advertising and is subject to our legal notices.