CaliforniaThe Workplace Know Your Rights Act.
What it does
Existing law establishes the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, headed by the Labor Commissioner, within the Department of Industrial Relations, for the purpose of enforcing labor laws. Existing law prescribes the duties and rights of employers and employees relating to specified labor laws, including, among other things, workers' compensation and notice requirements related to inspections conducted by an immigration agency.
More detail
This bill would establish the Workplace Know Your Rights Act. The bill would require an employer, on or before February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, to provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee of specified workers' rights, including, among other things, the categories described above, as well as constitutional rights of an employee when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, as specified. The bill would also require the employer to provide the written notice to each new employee upon hire and to provide the written notice annually to an employee's authorized representative, if any.
This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to develop a template notice that an employer may use to comply with the notice requirement described above. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to post the template notice on its internet website on or before January 1, 2026, and to post an updated template notice annually thereafter. The bill would also require the Labor Commissioner, on or before July 1, 2026, to develop a video for employees advising them of their rights under the areas described above and to develop a video for employers advising them of their rights and requirements under those areas, as provided. The bill would require the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Public Employment Relations Board, and the Attorney General's office to provide specified input for the template notice and the videos.
This bill would require an employer, if an employee has designated an emergency contact for this purpose, to notify the designated emergency contact if the employee is arrested or detained on their worksite. If the arrest or detention occurs during work hours, or during the performance of the employee's job duties, but not on the worksite, the bill would require the employer to notify the employee's designated emergency contact only if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention of the employee. The bill would require an employer to provide an employee the opportunity to name an emergency contact on or before March 30, 2026, for an existing employee, and at the time of hiring for a new employee hired after March 30, 2026.
This bill would prohibit an employer from discharging, threatening to discharge, demoting, suspending, or in any manner discriminating or retaliating against an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under the bill, as provided.
This bill would require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the bill, as specified, and would also alternatively authorize enforcement by a public prosecutor. The bill would provide that an employer who violates the bill may be subject to a penalty of up to $500 per employee for each violation, except that the penalty for a violation of the provisions relating to emergency contacts would be an amount up to $500 per employee for each day the violation occurs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee.
Where do you stand?
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Oct 12Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 667, Statutes of 2025.Latest
- Oct 12Approved by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Became Law
- Sep 23Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.To Governor
- Sep 13Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 29. Noes 8. Page 3031.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB294 Reyes et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded SB 294 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Ortega. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 13In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Sep 12Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 67. Noes 8. Page 3411.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 4Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 4Read third time and amended.Major
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 1.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 8
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jul 1From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Major
- Jun 26From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (June 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 25
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 5Referred to Coms. on L. & E. and JUD.Minor
- May 28In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading SB294 Reyes et al. Result: pass.Upper
- May 28Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 1289.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- May 23Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 1. Page 1194.) (May 23).Minor
- May 20Set for hearing May 23.
- May 19May 19 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 9Set for hearing May 19.
- May 1Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Apr 30From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2. Page 938.) (April 29).Major
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1. Page 870.) (April 23). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 9Set for hearing April 29 in JUD. pending receipt.
- Apr 4Set for hearing April 23.
- Mar 26Re-referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.Minor
- Mar 17From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Major
- Feb 19Referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Feb 7From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 9.
- Feb 6Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced