Most California employers took care of the February 1, 2026 distribution deadline under SB 294 — the Workplace Know Your Rights Act. But many have not yet addressed the law’s second compliance obligation, which arrives on March 30, 2026. That deadline is now two weeks away.
By March 30, every California employer must give current employees the opportunity to designate an emergency contact — and specify whether that person should be notified if the employee is arrested or detained. This is not a trivial administrative task. It requires updated forms, trained HR staff, new internal notification protocols, and clear documentation.
Here are five things California employers need to do before March 30.
1. Understand Exactly What the Emergency Contact Requirement Demands
SB 294 adds a distinct obligation on top of the February 1 notice requirement (which we previously wrote about here). By March 30, 2026, employers must provide all current employees with the opportunity to:
Going forward, for new hires, this information must be collected at the time of hire as part of the onboarding process.
Crucially, the notification obligation is not hypothetical. If an employee has opted in and is then arrested or detained at the worksite, the employer must contact their designated person. The same applies if the arrest or detention occurs off-site...
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