Know Your Rights Program — SB 294 Compliance
Effective January 1, 2026, every California employer must issue a stand-alone written Know Your Rights notice to all current employees — annually by February 1 and to new hires at time of hire.
🚨 New 2026 Requirement: Annual Know Your Rights notice due by February 1 each year under SB 294 — applies to ALL California employers, regardless of size.
Notice: BizHR.org provides HR compliance consulting — not legal advice. We are not a law firm. Information on this page reflects California Labor Code §2810.5 and §2810.6 as amended by SB 294, effective January 1, 2026. Employers with complex legal questions should consult qualified employment counsel.
What Is SB 294?
Senate Bill 294, signed into law and effective January 1, 2026, amends California Labor Code §2810.5 and adds new §2810.6. It creates a new mandatory annual notice program requiring every California employer to inform employees of their core workplace rights — every year — in a dedicated, standalone document.
Stand-Alone Notice — Not a Handbook
SB 294 requires a separate, dedicated document. You cannot simply add a section to your employee handbook or combine it with another notice. It must be its own document, delivered individually to each employee.
Annual by February 1 — Every Year
The notice is not a one-time requirement. Every February 1, you must re-issue the Know Your Rights notice to all current employees. The first deadline was February 1, 2026.
Emergency Contact — Often Overlooked
SB 294 also requires employers to offer each employee the opportunity to designate an emergency contact. This must be offered annually alongside the notice — it is a separate deliverable.
New Hires at Time of Hire
The updated Labor Code §2810.5 new hire notice now incorporates KYRP content. New employees must receive the notice at time of hire — not just the first February 1 after they start.
Language Requirements
If 10% or more of your workforce primarily speaks a language other than English, the notice must be provided in that language as well. Spanish translation is the most common requirement.
Recordkeeping Required
Delivery must be documented. Employers must obtain acknowledgments — signed forms, email confirmations, or electronic receipts — and retain those records. DLSE enforcement requires proof of delivery.
What Must Be in the Notice
SB 294 specifies the workers' rights that must appear in the Know Your Rights notice. Every item below must be addressed. A partial notice does not satisfy the law.
Minimum Wage & Overtime
Right to California minimum wage (currently $16/hour statewide; higher in many localities) and overtime at 1.5× for hours over 8/day or 40/week, and 2× for hours over 12/day.
Meal & Rest Breaks
Right to a 30-minute unpaid meal period after 5 hours of work, a second meal period after 10 hours, and a 10-minute paid rest period for every 4 hours worked.
Paid Sick Leave
Right to paid sick leave — SB 616 expanded accrual to up to 5 days (40 hours) per year. Usable for employee or family member illness, medical appointments, or domestic violence situations.
Workers' Compensation
Right to workers' compensation coverage for on-the-job injuries and illnesses, including medical treatment, temporary disability payments, and permanent disability benefits.
Workplace Safety — No Retaliation
Right to report workplace safety violations to Cal/OSHA without fear of retaliation. Employers may not discharge, threaten, or discriminate against any employee for exercising this right.
Union & Organizing Rights
Right to join, form, or support a labor union and to engage in collective bargaining, for employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act. Employers may not interfere with or restrain these rights.
Freedom from Discrimination & Harassment
Right to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics under FEHA — including race, sex, age, disability, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and pregnancy.
Pregnancy & Disability Accommodation
Right to reasonable accommodation for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions under FEHA and PDL. Includes pregnancy disability leave of up to 4 months.
CFRA / FMLA Leave
Right to up to 12 weeks of job-protected family and medical leave under CFRA (California Family Rights Act) for qualifying reasons — caring for a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, or qualifying military exigencies.
Personnel File Access
Right to inspect and receive a copy of your personnel file and records under SB 513 (Labor Code §1198.5). Requests must be fulfilled within 30 days.
Wage Theft Protections
Right to be paid all earned wages on time. Wage theft — including unpaid overtime, illegal deductions, failure to pay final wages, and off-the-clock work — is prohibited and enforceable by the DLSE.
Anti-Retaliation Protections
Right to be free from retaliation for exercising any workplace right — including filing a complaint, cooperating in an investigation, or discussing wages with coworkers.
Emergency Contact Designation (New — SB 294)
Right to designate an emergency contact (name, phone number, and relationship). Employers must offer each employee the opportunity to provide this information annually.
Key Deadlines
SB 294 creates a multi-trigger notice obligation — annual for current employees, and at hire for new employees.
First Annual KYRP Notice Due
Every California employer must provide the stand-alone Know Your Rights notice to ALL current employees on or before this date.
Annual KYRP Notice — Recurring
The notice must be re-issued annually by February 1. SB 294 creates a permanent annual notice obligation for every covered employer.
New Hire Notice Required
Updated Labor Code §2810.5 notice must be provided to all new hires at the time of hire. The updated notice reflects SB 294 content and emergency contact designation.
Notice Format Requirements
SB 294 is specific about how the notice must be formatted and delivered. Getting the content right is only half the battle — format and delivery method matter for compliance.
Format
- ✓Must be a stand-alone document — not embedded in the handbook
- ✓Must list each required right clearly and individually
- ✓No specific template required, but all content must be present
- ✓Can be print (paper) or electronic — both are acceptable
- ✓Must be readable and accessible to the employee
Delivery Method
- ✓Paper notice with employee signature — recommended
- ✓Email delivery with read receipt or electronic acknowledgment
- ✓Employer HRIS/portal delivery with logged acknowledgment
- ✓Must create a verifiable record of delivery
- ✓Cannot be passive — must be delivered to each individual employee
The Emergency Contact Designation Requirement
SB 294 adds a requirement that is separate from the notice itself: employers must offer each employee the opportunity to designate an emergency contact — including the contact's name, phone number, and relationship to the employee. This offer must be made at the time of the annual notice and at time of hire.
Name, phone number, and relationship of an emergency contact person
At the annual notice (February 1) and for new hires at time of hire
A separate designated form — employees may choose to provide this or decline
“I'll Just Update the Handbook” — Why That Doesn't Work
Many employers assume that updating their employee handbook with workers' rights information satisfies SB 294. It does not. Here's why the handbook approach fails.
| Requirement | Handbook Update | SB 294 Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-alone document per employee | ✗ Fails | ✓ Compliant |
| Annual re-issuance by February 1 | ✗ Fails (handbooks are issued once) | ✓ Compliant |
| Signed acknowledgment of delivery | ✗ Fails (handbook receipt is not equivalent) | ✓ Compliant |
| Covers all 13 required rights | ⚠ May or may not | ✓ Must cover all |
| Emergency contact designation offered | ✗ Fails | ✓ Compliant |
| DLSE-defensible delivery record | ✗ Fails | ✓ Compliant |
| Language requirement satisfied | ⚠ Unlikely | ✓ Required if applicable |
KYRP Compliance Checklist
7 questions — assess your current SB 294 compliance status. Answer honestly based on what you have actually done.
Answer Yes or No for each question based on your current compliance status.
1. Have you provided a stand-alone Know Your Rights notice to ALL current employees?
2. Was the notice provided by February 1, 2026 (or annually by February 1 each year thereafter)?
3. Does your notice cover all required rights — wage/overtime, breaks, sick leave, workers' comp, safety reporting, union rights, FEHA, accommodation, CFRA/FMLA, personnel file, wage theft, and anti-retaliation?
4. Did you offer each employee the opportunity to designate an emergency contact (name, phone number, relationship)?
5. Did you provide the notice as a SEPARATE, STANDALONE document — not just added to the employee handbook?
6. Do you have signed acknowledgments or delivery records confirming each employee received the notice?
7. If 10% or more of your workforce speaks a language other than English, was the notice also provided in that language?
Notice Deadline Tracker
Enter your last notice date to see your next annual deadline and whether you are currently past-due.
Leave blank if you have never issued the notice
Government Resources
DLSE — Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Labor Commissioner)
(844) 522-6734
Primary enforcement agency for SB 294 and Labor Code §2810.5/§2810.6. File complaints, access enforcement guidance, and find official notice templates.
dir.ca.gov/dlse ↗California Labor Commissioner's Office
(844) 522-6734
Wage claims, worker rights enforcement, and SB 294 compliance. The Labor Commissioner enforces the new annual notice requirement.
www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlse.html ↗SB 294 — Senate Bill 294 Text (2023)
Full text of SB 294 amending Labor Code §2810.5 and adding §2810.6. Effective January 1, 2026.
leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240SB294 ↗DIR — Department of Industrial Relations
(844) 522-6734
Parent agency for DLSE. Worker rights resources, wage orders, and employer compliance guides.
dir.ca.gov ↗Get Your SB 294 Notice Package — $49
Ready-to-use SB 294-compliant notice template, acknowledgment form, emergency contact designation form, distribution log, annual checklist, and bonus Spanish-language version.
Disclaimer: This is not legal advice. BizHR.org is not a law firm and does not provide legal services. All content is for general compliance awareness. Consult qualified legal counsel before implementation.