California employers have until February 1, 2026, to distribute the new Workplace Know Your Rights Act notice to all current employees and all newly hired employees in California, and they must reissue the notice every year thereafter.
The required notice principally covers employees’ constitutional and other rights when interacting with law enforcement in the workplace, including immigration-related law enforcement. It also informs employees that they may provide an emergency contact to be notified if they are arrested or detained.
The law imposes significant penalties on employers that fail to provide the notice or that retaliate against employees who exercise rights under the statute.
See our prior alert for an overview of important employment law changes taking effect in 2026 and beyond. And for more information, see the recording and presentation slides from our recent Employment Annual Year-End Review CLE webinar.