Pursuant to Senate Bill 294 which went into effect January 1, 2026 and added a new Part 5.6 to the California Labor Code (sections 1550 – 1559), the California Department of Industrial Relations (“DIR” aka “Labor Commissioner”) has issued the anticipated “California Workplace – Know Your Rights” Notice (“Notice”).
The new law requires that employers provide this Notice (or their own stand-alone notice that meets the statutory requirements) to all employees by February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Employers can provide the Notice to employees in the same manner the employer normally uses to communicate other employment-related information. This may not be the same for all employers and the law states that methods such as personal service (e.g. hand-delivery), email, or text message may be sufficient, provided that the Notice can reasonably be anticipated to be received by the employee within one business day of sending it. The Notice must also be provided to each new employee upon hire, and to the authorized representative (e.g. union rep), if any, of an employee either electronically or by regular mail. Whichever method an employer chooses to provide the Notice under the new law, it is recommended that the employer obtain some form of confirmation of receipt from the employee to evidence the Notice was provided under the law.
So what must be in the Notice?
The Notice must contain a description of workers’ rights in the following areas:
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