Ready for 2026? What Employers Should Know About SB 294
Image generated by Google GeminiCalifornia has rolled out a major new law with a very straightforward goal: to make sure every worker in the state actually understands the rights they already have. The Workplace Know Your Rights Act (SB 294) is built on a simple idea, people can’t exercise their rights if they don’t know what they are. From workers’ compensation and organizing protections to constitutional rights during law-enforcement interactions, the state wants this information to be clear, accessible, and consistently communicated. For employers, that shift turns what once was a loose, mostly informal practice into a structured annual requirement with real compliance expectations.
What makes this law especially significant is its focus on empowerment. Lawmakers didn’t just want employees to know the rules of the workplace, they wanted workers to feel equipped to protect themselves, their families, and their communities when uncertainty or disruption occurs. That means employers now play a much more active role in how this information is shared and understood. It also means new documentation processes, new annual responsibilities, and in some cases, new penalties for businesses that don’t follow through.
Beginning February 1, 2026, every California employer will be required to provide each employee with a stand-alone written notice outlining key workplace rights. This annual notice must also be given at the time of hire and sent to an employee’s authorized representative when applicable. The delivery method can be flexible, email, text, or paper are all acceptable, as long as the employee can realistically be expected to receive the information promptly. Regardless of the industry, company size, or type of workforce, every employer must meet the same baseline standard. It’s a universal requirement with universal impact, and while it adds new administrative demands, it also gives employers a clear roadmap for staying compliant if they begin preparing now.
What the Annual Workplace Rights Notice Must Include
Once the annual notice requirement goes into effect, employers need to share a clear, stand-alone summary of the rights every worker is entitled to. The goal isn’t to overwhelm employees with legal jargon, but to give them a straightforward understanding of protections they may need to rely on. This notice covers several different areas of workplace law, and each section plays a role in helping employees navigate real-life situations, from injuries on the job to interactions with law enforcement.
To keep things clear, the notice must address the following topics:
Workers’ compensation rights, including access to medical care and wage replacement for work-related injuries or illnesses
Immigration-related protections, including an employees’ right to receive advance notice before federal immigration officials conduct certain workplace record inspections
Protection against immigration-based retaliation, which prevents employers from using a worker’s status to punish or intimidate them when they exercise protected rights
Union and concerted activity rights, which apply even in non-union workplaces and allow employees to discuss workplace issues and act collectively
Constitutional rights during law-enforcement interactions, such as protections against unreasonable searches and the right not to self-incriminate
New legal updates identified each year by the Labor Commissioner, along with a list of the agencies responsible for enforcing these rights
What makes this notice different from older workplace postings is that it isn’t static. The Labor Commissioner will refresh the template every year to reflect new laws and enforcement priorities, which means employers must always use the most recent version. This helps ensure that workers aren’t relying on outdated information, something that has been a common issue with traditional labor posters.
The law also places a strong emphasis on accessibility. Employers must give employees the notice in the language they normally use for work-related communication, as long as the Labor Commissioner provides a template in that language. The state plans to publish templates in multiple languages, with the possibility of adding more over time. If a template doesn’t exist in the worker’s preferred language, employers may provide the notice in English, but they still need to make sure employees can meaningfully understand the information.
These language rules highlight the broader intent behind SB 294: making sure employees receive information they can actually use. For employers, this means reviewing current communication practices, identifying language needs across the workforce, and ensuring that HR systems are prepared to distribute the correct version of the notice each year.
How the Labor Commissioner Will Support Compliance
While the responsibility to distribute the annual notice sits with employers, the Labor Commissioner plays an important role in making the process straightforward. The agency will release a model notice by January 1, 2026, a version employers can rely on as a baseline. This template will take the guesswork out of wording and formatting, and it will be refreshed each year to reflect any new legal developments.
Beyond the written notice, the Labor Commissioner will also produce two educational videos by July 1, 2026. One will be designed for employees, walking them through their rights in a clear, accessible way. The other will be geared toward employers and will outline compliance expectations, including what to know when law enforcement enters the workplace. Several state agencies, including the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the Attorney General’s Office, will help shape these materials to ensure they’re accurate and practical.
Employers aren’t required to use these videos, but they can be valuable tools — especially for organizations with large, multilingual, or distributed workforces. For many employers, these resources may become an easy way to reinforce the written notice and help employees better understand the protections available to them.
A New Requirement: Emergency Contact Notifications
Although employers are ultimately responsible for providing the annual notice, the Labor Commissioner is taking several steps to make compliance easier. By January 1, 2026, the agency will publish an official model notice that employers can use as their starting point. This template is meant to simplify the process, it will be written in clear language, organized in a way that employees can easily understand, and updated every year so employers don’t have to guess whether their notice still reflects current law.
The support doesn’t end with the written template. By July 1, 2026, the Labor Commissioner will also release two educational videos: one for employees, explaining their rights in practical, everyday terms; and another for employers, outlining what compliance looks like and offering guidance on how to handle situations involving law enforcement at the workplace. To ensure these tools are accurate and complete, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the Attorney General’s Office will help shape the content and language of these materials.
While employers aren’t required to use these videos, they can be incredibly helpful for organizations with multilingual, remote, or fast-growing teams. For many workplaces, these resources may become a simple way to reinforce the written notice and help employees better understand the protections available to them.
Even with these tools, compliance is far from automatic. Employers still need to build internal systems that support timely notice delivery, accurate recordkeeping, and clear communication with their workforce. Understanding what steps to take now can make all the difference in avoiding penalties once enforcement begins.
Anti-Retaliation Protections All Employers Must Understand
Alongside the previous requirements, SB 294 is also reinforcing one of the most foundational principles in California employment law: employees must be able to exercise their rights without fear of retaliation. Under the Act, employers cannot terminate, discipline, threaten, suspend, or treat an employee unfavorably because they asserted a right covered by the law. The same protections apply when an employee participates in an investigation, files a complaint, or assists a coworker in understanding or exercising their rights.
The intention behind this provision is straightforward. The Legislature wants employees to feel safe coming forward, whether they’re raising a concern, asking for clarity, or navigating a sensitive situation involving immigration, law enforcement, or workplace safety. For employers, this requires more than simply avoiding obvious acts of retaliation. It calls for creating an environment where employees trust the process, and where managers understand how to respond appropriately when a worker raises an issue.
From a practical perspective, this means ensuring supervisors are trained, documentation is consistent, and communication is handled with care. Even well-meaning decisions can be misinterpreted if they’re not grounded in clear, thoughtful practices. By reinforcing these expectations now, employers can reduce risk, strengthen workplace culture, and be better prepared for compliance once SB 294 goes into effect.
Preparing for Compliance: Enforcement, Next Steps, and Why Early Action Matters
As California moves toward full implementation of SB 294, it’s important for employers to understand that this law has real enforcement power behind it. The Labor Commissioner has broad authority to investigate potential violations, issue citations, and pursue court orders when necessary. Public prosecutors may also step in, which means oversight can come from multiple directions. Penalties can add up quickly, especially for employers with large or distributed teams. A missed notice may cost up to $500 per employee, and issues involving the new emergency-contact requirement can reach as high as $10,000 per employee if the problem persists. Even small administrative gaps can turn into meaningful financial exposure if they aren’t caught early.
With the first major deadline landing in early 2026, employers should start preparing now rather than rushing later. Building the right systems takes time, and the most successful compliance strategies are the ones that blend clear communication, thoughtful planning, and consistent documentation. This is the moment for HR teams, business owners, and legal counsel to take a close look at their organizations currently operate and where adjustments may be needed.
To stay ahead of the upcoming changes, employers should begin reviewing their internal processes, including:
Onboarding workflows, ensuring new hires receive the required notice in a timely and reliable way
Communication methods, confirming whether email, text, or paper notices will reach employees quickly
Language needs, especially for multilingual workplaces that will rely on the Labor Commissioner’s translated templates
Recordkeeping practices, including how to document when notices were sent and how updates will be tracked each year
This law is also a good reminder to revisit policies that touch on immigration inquiries, interactions with law enforcement, and employee organizing or concerted activity. Making sure these policies reflect both the letter and spirit of the law will help create a safer and more compliant workplace while reducing the risk of misunderstanding or perceived retaliation.
California’s Workplace Know Your Rights Act represents a meaningful shift in how employers must communicate employee rights. It brings new responsibilities, new deadlines, and new expectations for clarity and accessibility. Starting early gives employers the best chance to implement these changes smoothly, avoid last-minute pressure, and ensure their teams receive the information the law intends them to have.
Wagner Legal PC is ready to help employers navigate these new requirements with confidence. We can review your current policies, update your onboarding materials, and help you build practical processes that align with SB 294’s standards. If your organization needs guidance, we invite you to reach out for tailored legal support.
