Another year means another time in which many in the HR space turn towards California, which has a reputation for extensive employment laws and regulations not seen in other states.
“Everybody knows California tends to have these new laws that are challenging, to say the least,” Michele Miller, chair of Cozen O’Connor’s west coast labor and employment law department, said Dec. 11 during the firm’s annual virtual event on California labor law changes.
2026 will give the state’s employers plenty to wrap their heads around, from new laws on workplace notices and paid sick leave to yet another minimum wage update.
By Feb. 1, 2026, employers must provide a stand-alone written notice to employees with details on a whole host of categories such as workers’ compensation, immigration inspections, union organizing, concerted activity and constitutional rights within the context of law enforcement interactions. The notice must be provided to current employees annually and to new employees at the time of hire.
“The good news is that employers are not tasked with coming up with this notice,” said Elena Hillman, member of the firm at Cozen. The law tasks the state’s labor commissioner with providing a template notice that can be modified for an employer’s workplace. The commissioner also must revise the template as needed.
Additionally, by March 30, 2026, employers must provide employees the opportunity to name an emergency contact for situations in which the employee is arrested or...
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