The Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

Removed three rights categories from the required written notice: (1) protection against misclassification of an employee as an independent contractor, (2) outdoor heat illness prevention and indoor heat illness prevention, and (3) paid sick days. The notice now covers only five areas: workers' compensation, immigration inspection notice, protection against unfair immigration-related practices, right to organize, and constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement.

Simplified the workers' compensation description in the required notice from a general reference with 'a short summary of what it is and where to obtain more information' to a more specific description: 'including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, as well as the contact information for the Division of Workers' Compensation.'

Removed the alternative timing mechanism that required employers to provide notice within 30 days after the Labor Commissioner posts the template notice. The enrolled version uses only the fixed deadline of on or before February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter.

Changed penalty language from 'a civil penalty of up to $500 per employee for each violation' to 'a penalty of up to $500 per employee for each violation,' removing the word 'civil.' The emergency contact penalty (up to $500 per day, capped at $10,000 per employee) is unchanged.

Employers must provide the written notice on or before February 1, 2026 (previously just 'within 30 days after the Labor Commissioner posts the template notice'). The Labor Commissioner must post the template notice by January 1, 2026 and update it annually. Employers must offer existing employees the opportunity to name an emergency contact no later than March 30, 2026.

A new item was added to the required notice content: the right to workers' compensation benefits including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, plus contact information for the Division of Workers' Compensation.

The union organizing right in the notice was expanded from 'the right to organize a union in the workplace' to 'the right to organize a union or engage in concerted activity in the workplace.'

A new subdivision requires the written notice to also include: (1) a description of new legal developments pertaining to laws enforced by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency that the Labor Commissioner deems material, and (2) a list of enforcement agencies that may enforce the underlying rights.

The template notice must now be available in Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi in addition to the previously listed languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean). Videos must be available in English and Spanish.

The Labor Commissioner must consult with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and Public Employment Relations Board on language regarding workers' rights to organize and engage in concerted activity, and must consult with the Attorney General's office on constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace.

Employers must keep records of compliance with the notice requirements for three years, including the date each written notice is provided or sent.

Employers must allow employees to update their emergency contact information throughout the duration of employment.

The penalty for emergency contact violations (Section 1555) is now up to $500 per employee per day the violation occurs, capped at $10,000 per employee. A new provision clarifies that a penalty may be recovered as a statutory penalty paid to the employee or a civil penalty, but not both, for the same violation.

Section 98 was added to the list of procedural sections governing enforcement actions (previously only 98.3, 98.7, 98.74, or 1197.1 were referenced).

The employer-facing video now explicitly includes constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, and notice to authorized representatives must be provided by electronic or regular mail.

Header changed from 'Senate Bill No. 294' with passage dates to 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA AUTHENTICATED ELECTRONIC LEGAL MATERIAL' with 'CHAPTER 667' and the approval date of October 12, 2025.

Page numbering changed from 'SB 294' format to 'Ch. 667' format throughout the document.

Blank fields for the Governor's approval date and time were replaced with the actual date (October 12, 2025).

Removed detailed statutory definitions of Fourth Amendment rights (unreasonable searches and seizures), Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and Fifth Amendment right to due process of law from Section 1552. Only the definition of 'authorized representative' remains.

The workers' compensation item in Section 1553(a)(3) was expanded to require 'a short summary of what it is and where to obtain more information' rather than just listing the topic.

Added language in Section 1553(a) specifying that the notice must be provided in a manner the employer normally uses to communicate employment-related information, and may include personal service, email, or text message if reasonably anticipated to be received within one business day.

Section 1553(b) changed from requiring the notice 'shall' be provided in English when the template is unavailable in the employee's language to 'may' be provided in English, making it permissive rather than mandatory.

Removed the sentence in Section 1554(a) stating that an employer is not required to comply with Section 1553 until 30 days after the Labor Commissioner posts the template notice. The 30-day compliance trigger still exists in Section 1553(a) itself.

Corrected a drafting error in Section 1558 that had two separate subdivisions labeled (d), one containing the civil penalty and another containing the venue provision. The new version properly numbers them as (d) for the $500 per-employee civil penalty and (e) for venue.

Removed the phrase 'as part of the costs of any action for damages' from the attorney's fees language in Section 1558(c), simplifying it to just 'reasonable attorney's fees and costs.'

The private right of action was eliminated. The Senate version allowed any employee or their exclusive representative to bring a civil action in court for damages including punitive damages. The Assembly version removes this, leaving enforcement only through the Labor Commissioner or a public prosecutor.

The civil penalty of up to $500 per employee per violation was changed from mandatory ('shall be subject to') to discretionary ('may be subject to'), giving the Labor Commissioner more latitude in whether to impose penalties.

The list of workers' rights that must be covered in the annual written notice was reduced from 13 topics to 8. Removed topics include: wage and hour protections, unemployment insurance, data privacy laws, protection against retaliation by an employer, natural disasters and emergency conditions, and paid family leave/state disability insurance/CFRA (only 'paid sick days' remains).

The right of a designated emergency contact to collect all wages owed to an arrested or detained employee and to file a wage claim on the employee's behalf was removed entirely.

The specific deadline of July 1, 2026 for the Labor Commissioner to develop the template notice was removed. The Assembly version simply requires the Commissioner to develop it without a date. The July 1, 2026 deadline remains only for the employee and employer videos.

The language requirement for the written notice was softened: when the template is not available in the employee's language, the Senate version required the notice to be provided in English ('shall'), while the Assembly version makes it permissive ('may').

The legislative intent section was condensed from four subsections to two, removing specific references to civil rights under state and federal law, protection from retaliation and discrimination, right to refuse unsafe work, immigrant rights, and antidiscrimination/antiharassment protections. The remaining language focuses more narrowly on constitutional rights.

The bill no longer amends Labor Code Section 245 (Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014). The previous version made nonsubstantive naming changes to that section; those are now gone.

Employers must now provide the written notice within 30 days after the Labor Commissioner posts the template notice on its website, and annually thereafter. Previously the requirement was simply 'annually' with no tie to when the template becomes available.

The template notice is now optional for employers ('may use') rather than mandatory ('shall use'). Employers can still comply by providing their own notice meeting the content requirements.

A new obligation requires employers to offer each employee the option to provide written notice indicating they want their designated emergency contact notified in the event of an arrest or detention on-site or during work hours/job duties off-site (with actual knowledge).

Emergency contact notification is now limited to arrests or detentions that occur on the worksite. For off-site arrests during work hours or job duties, the employer must notify only if it has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention. Previously the requirement applied to any enforcement action in which the employee was arrested or detained.

The civil penalty changed from a mandatory $500 per employee per violation ('shall be subject to') to a discretionary penalty of 'up to' $500 per employee per violation ('may be subject to'), giving the Labor Commissioner discretion in whether and how much to impose.

A new definition of 'authorized representative' was added, specifying it means an exclusive collective bargaining representative.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the bill now carries fiscal implications requiring fiscal committee review.

Entirely new Part 5.6 (Sections 1550-1559) added to Division 2 of the Labor Code, creating the Workplace Know Your Rights Act as a standalone regulatory framework.

The act does not preempt any city, county, or city and county ordinance that provides equal or greater protection to employees covered by the act.

Employers must annually provide a stand-alone written notice to each current employee and to new employees upon hire, covering 13 specific areas of workers' rights including misclassification, health and safety, wage and hour, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, paid sick days and family leave, immigration inspection notice, unfair immigration practices, data privacy, anti-retaliation, union organizing, natural disaster protections, and constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace.

The written notice must also include a list of state agencies where an employee may file a labor, fair employment, data privacy, or civil rights claim.

If an employee has designated an emergency contact with the employer, the employer must notify that contact if the employee is arrested or detained in an enforcement action. The emergency contact may collect all wages owed to the employee and file a wage claim on their behalf.

The Labor Commissioner must develop a template notice (in English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean) by July 1, 2026, which employers must use to comply. The Labor Commissioner must also develop a video for employees about their rights and a separate video for employers about their requirements, both by July 1, 2026.

Parties subject to the act may provide by collective bargaining agreement that the agreement supersedes the requirements, in whole or in part, if the waiver is explicitly set forth in clear and unambiguous terms.

The Labor Commissioner enforces the act through investigation, citations, and civil penalties. As an alternative, any employee who suffered a violation (or their exclusive representative) may bring a civil action for damages including punitive damages. A public prosecutor may also alternatively enforce the act.

An employer who violates the act is subject to a civil penalty of $500 per employee for each violation.

New definitions established for constitutional rights when interacting with law enforcement at the workplace, including Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures, Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination (including right to remain silent and right to counsel), and Fifth Amendment right to due process of law.

Coauthors added: Senators Cervantes, Durazo, Laird, and Wiener, plus Assembly Member Ortega. Fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes.'