As discussed here, California’s SB 294—officially titled the Workplace Know Your Rights Act (the Act) and signed into law on October 12, 2025—aims to ensure that California employees are fully informed of their rights in the workplace, particularly in areas involving labor protections, immigration-related inspections, union activity, and constitutional rights during law enforcement interactions. 

Pursuant to the Act, employers are required to provide all employees with an Emergency Contact Notification option, enabling them to designate an individual who will be notified in the event of an arrest or detention at the workplace or during work hours. This notice requirement must be implemented no later than March 30, 2026. 

This notification opportunity must be made available to all existing employees as well as offered during the onboarding process for new hires. 

Penalties for noncompliance are significant: $500 per employee, per day, for each day the violation occurs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per employee.