The Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

Senator Reyes and a bipartisan group of legislative colleagues have put forward a measure establishing the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, which creates new requirements for California employers to inform workers about their workplace and constitutional rights. The legislation mandates that employers provide written notices to current employees, new hires, and authorized representatives detailing protections related to worker classification, heat illness prevention, workers' compensation, paid sick leave, immigration-related workplace rights, union organizing, and constitutional rights during law enforcement interactions.

The bill tasks the Labor Commissioner with developing multilingual template notices and educational videos by July 2026 to facilitate employer compliance. Employers must distribute these notices within 30 days of the template's posting and annually thereafter, using the language typically used for workplace communications when available. The measure also requires employers to notify designated emergency contacts if employees are arrested or detained at work, provided employees have opted into this notification system.

To ensure compliance, the legislation authorizes the Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors to investigate violations and issue citations. Employers who violate the Act's provisions face civil penalties up to $500 per employee per violation. The bill prohibits retaliation against workers who exercise their rights or participate in enforcement actions. While collective bargaining agreements may supersede certain requirements if explicitly stated, the Act preserves existing local worker protection ordinances that meet or exceed its standards.