California continues to expand employee protections across a wide range of workplace practices. Several new statutes and regulatory updates taking effect in 2026 will require employers to revisit notices, contracts, recordkeeping practices, and postings, as we previously reported on here. Below is a summary of four developments that should be on every California employer’s radar.

1. New Annual “Workplace Know Your Rights” Notice Required by February 1, 2026

Beginning February 1, 2026, California employers must distribute a new stand-alone notice to employees under the Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

What the Notice Must Cover

The required notice is designed to provide employees with a plain-language overview of key workplace rights, including:

• Workers’ compensation benefits and protections
• Rights related to union organizing and concerted activity
• Immigration-related protections, including notice of federal immigration inspections
• Constitutional rights during interactions with law enforcement at the workplace
• The right to designate an emergency contact to be notified if an employee is arrested or detained while working

The notice must be provided in the language the employer typically uses to communicate with the employee and that the employee understands, if the Labor Commissioner has published a template in that language. Templates are already available in English and Spanish, with additional translations forthcoming.

Distribution and Timing

Employers must provide the...

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