California, Know Your Rights Act Notice Due February 1, 2026

(CALIFORNIA) — California employers must implement a stand-alone rights notice and emergency contact designation by February 1, 2026, or risk penalties, as SB 294 reorganizes how workers receive critical rights information amid heightened federal enforcement.

Section 1: Overview and Key Dates

SB 294—often described as part of California’s Know Your Rights Act approach to workplace enforcement—creates two core duties for employers in California. First, employers must deliver an annual stand-alone written notice that explains key workplace rights. Second, employers must give employees a way to complete an emergency contact designation tied to a specific scenario: arrest or detention during working hours.

Timing drives compliance planning. SB 294 was signed on October 12, 2025, takes effect on January 1, 2026, and then quickly moves into its first annual notice cycle, with a hard annual cadence tied to February 1, 2026. A separate deadline applies for the emergency contact designation process later in the first quarter.

Who needs to pay attention? Every California employer, regardless of size. HR teams will own the rollout, but compliance, operations, and site leaders often control the daily practices that can make or break “stand-alone” delivery. Workers also have a stake, especially those who may face stressful worksite encounters and need clear, fast guidance.

Section 2: Key Facts, Statistics, and Policy Details (SB 294)

Start with the central idea: SB 294 shifts rights information from “posted somewhere” to “delivered by the employer,” on a predictable schedule. Below is explanatory prose to introduce the interactive tool that will present detailed facts, deadlines, and compliance elements.

The interactive tool will show the annual notice requirements, the emergency contact designation process, the penalties framework, and suggested compliance steps. Use the tool to view deadlines, required content categories, and sample timelines tailored to different employer sizes and distribution channels.

Core elements of SB 294

1) The stand-alone written notice (annual). Employers must provide a stand-alone written notice to employees on an annual basis. “Stand-alone” means the notice should not be buried inside a handbook acknowledgment or combined with unrelated onboarding paperwork. Think of it like a fire-drill map: short, direct, and easy to find when someone is anxious.

2) What the notice must cover. SB 294 organizes the required content into categories that employees can use during real events: Constitutional Rights (for example, rights during interactions with law enforcement at work), Immigration Protections (including protections tied to I-9 inspections and rules that limit unfair immigration-related practices under California law), Labor Rights (such as organizing rights and concerted activity), and Benefits (including workers’ compensation rights).

3) Delivery and receipt expectations. The law focuses on getting the information to workers in a way that is timely and provable. Many employers will treat this like a compliance notice: distribute it through controlled channels (HRIS, email, or physical delivery) and keep proof that each employee received it. A clean audit trail matters if enforcement or a dispute follows.

4) The emergency contact designation. SB 294 also requires an emergency contact designation process. The purpose is practical: if a worker is arrested or detained during work hours, the employer has a pre-authorized person to notify. That reduces confusion for coworkers and shortens the time family members spend trying to locate someone.

5) Model notice and language rules. A state model notice is available as a starting point, including versions in English and Spanish. Employers should treat the model as a baseline. Many workplaces will still need a language determination process so the notice is delivered in the language normally used to communicate with employees, where applicable.

⚠️ Penalties up to $10,000 per violation apply for failure to provide timely, stand-alone notices or to collect proper emergency contact designations.

Section 3: The 7-Step Compliance Plan for Employers

A simple way to treat SB 294 is like an annual safety certification. One owner sets the rules, site leaders execute, and HR keeps records.

1. Step 1: Download the model notice. Pull the current state model notice as soon as it is available. Save a dated copy. Version control prevents confusion later.
2. Step 2: Run a language determination. Identify the language normally used to communicate with each employee group. Document your method. Keep it consistent across worksites.
3. Step 3: Build a distribution protocol with proof. Choose delivery methods that create reliable confirmation, such as HRIS acknowledgments, tracked email, or in-person delivery with signed receipt. Aim for a process that can show who got what, and when.
4. Step 4: Make onboarding “stand-alone” by design. Add the SB 294 notice to new-hire packets as a separate document. Do not bundle it with general policies. A separate acknowledgment page is often the cleanest approach.
5. Step 5: Create an emergency contact designation form and workflow. Treat this as a specific authorization, not a generic “emergency contact” line on a form. Clarify the purpose: notification if the employee is arrested or detained during work hours.
6. Step 6: Train managers and front-line supervisors. Managers should know the boundary between cooperation and consent in worksite situations. SB 294 compliance often intersects with California’s rules on access to non-public areas and how to respond to officials.
7. Step 7: Set record retention rules and audit. Keep copies of the notice provided, the distribution list, acknowledgments, and emergency contact designations. Schedule an internal spot-check before the annual deadline.

✅ Immediate steps for HR and compliance teams: download the model notice, determine employee language profiles, and establish distribution confirmation processes.

Section 4: Context and Significance

California enacted SB 294 against a backdrop of higher anxiety about worksite enforcement. The law’s basic theory is straightforward: when a high-stress event happens, people do not read posters. They rely on the information they already received and can find quickly.

Federal messaging has also sharpened the contrast between federal priorities and state worker-protection policies. On May 29, 2025, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized “sanctuary” jurisdictions and warned that “sanctuary politicians are on notice.” Separate federal developments in early 2026 reinforced the sense of uncertainty for many immigrant communities, including a DHS statement on January 13, 2026 tied to TPS litigation and next steps.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 294 as part of California’s effort to make employers a primary channel for rights information. That design matters. Employers control onboarding, payroll systems, and internal communications, so the state placed delivery duties where the distribution tools already exist.

Section 5: Impact on Affected Individuals

Employees will often feel the change first. A stand-alone annual notice can reduce panic and misinformation during a workplace encounter, because workers have already seen a plain-English summary of rights that may apply.

Families may benefit in a different way. The emergency contact designation is not an immigration form. It is a preparedness measure, like an “in case of hospitalization” authorization, but tailored to arrest or detention during work hours.

Employer exposure rises when the process breaks down. Missing notices, late distribution, or inconsistent practices between locations can trigger disputes, fines, and workplace mistrust. The most common pitfalls are practical ones:

• Treating the notice as a handbook page instead of a stand-alone written notice
• Failing to complete a real language determination, especially in mixed-language workplaces
• Letting each worksite improvise its own method, which creates gaps in recordkeeping
• Collecting generic emergency contacts without clear authorization for the SB 294 scenario

⚠️ Penalties up to $10,000 per violation apply for failure to provide timely, stand-alone notices or to collect proper emergency contact designations.

Section 6: Official Government Sources and Resources

Implementation questions usually start with California’s labor agencies. The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the California Labor Commissioner are central for the model notice and practical labor guidance. For worker-facing immigrant rights materials, the California Office of the Attorney General (Rob Bonta) is also a key statewide resource.

Federal sources can provide context without changing the state deadlines. For updates that may affect employer planning or employee concerns, monitor U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcements at https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom. For general federal legal reference, Cornell’s Legal Information Institute can help readers locate statutory text at https://law.cornell.edu.

SB 294 is a California compliance duty with fixed dates. Treat February 1, 2026 as a calendar deadline, not a guideline.

Final Notes and Legal Considerations

YMYL compliance applies; ensure factual accuracy with official sources and present information with qualified language. This is state law with potential interactions with federal enforcement, not a guarantee of federal policy.

Employers should consider consulting legal counsel for tailored compliance strategies, including review of notice language, record-retention policies, and the emergency contact designation process to ensure alignment with SB 294 and related California obligations.