January 7, 2026
California employers of all sizes will soon be subject to new employee notice and emergency contact requirements. While the law technically took effect on January 1, employers will have until the compliance dates below to meet specific obligations.
*
NOTICE OF WORKPLACE RIGHTS
Contents of Notice
By February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, employers need to provide a stand-alone written notice to all employees regarding certain workplace rights. Template notices, titled “Know Your Rights,” are available on the Labor Commissioner’s website in English and Spanish and additional languages will be made available soon. The notice covers the following topics:
• Workers’ compensation
• Immigration rights and notices
• Labor organizing
• Constitutional rights
In future years, the notice will also need to include any new legal developments the Labor Commissioner deems notice-worthy.
Employees hired after February 1, 2026, should receive the notice upon hire.
*
Distribution of Notice
Employers need to provide each employee with the written notice in the language the employee understands if the Labor Commissioner provides a template in that language on its website. If a template in that language isn’t available, employers can provide the notice in English.
Employers can distribute the notice using the same method they normally use to communicate employment information, including personal delivery, email, or text message as long as it can be reasonably expected to reach the employee within one business day.
*
Recordkeeping
Employers need to keep records of having provided the notice for three years, including the date each notice was provided.
*
EMERGENCY CONTACT
By March 30, 2026, employers need to give employees the opportunity to name an emergency contact and indicate whether that person should be notified if the employee is arrested or detained at work. Employees can update this information at any time.
If an employee is arrested or detained in the workplace, employers will be obligated to reach out to their emergency contact (if that’s what the employee wanted). If an arrest or detention happens outside of the workplace, but during work hours or while the employee is doing work, the employer is only obligated to reach out if they actually know about the situation.
*
Action Items
• By February 1, 2026, provide the workplace rights notice to all current employees as required and include the notice in your new hire packet.
• Keep records for at least three years showing that each employee received the notice.
• By March 30, 2026, allow employees to designate an emergency contact and indicate whether they should be notified in the event of their arrest or detention.
Ready to chat? Get in touch today to request a no-obligation savings evaluation.
Throughout our membership in the Unemployment Savings Program, First Nonprofit understood our demands, community dynamics, and the importance of seamless services; that allowed us to serve our constituents better.
Because INCS advocates for the operating conditions that allow charter public schools to provide high quality public education, partnering with First Nonprofit was an easy decision. First Nonprofit’s unemployment programs provide our member schools two operating elements crucial to their ability to provide high quality public education: savings and budget certainty. Capable, committed teachers are the key to student success. By participating in the unemployment insurance savings plan, charter public schools gain peace of mind and are able to invest more money in their teachers.
It has been our sincere pleasure to maintain a strong, vibrant business partnership with First Nonprofit. We greatly admire their strong industry knowledge, technical expertise, constant professionalism, knowledgeable and dedicated staff. They are always extremely responsive, personable and provide us with the necessary guidance and recommendations on a numerous variety of employment scenarios.
NYCON members who use First Nonprofit’s programs enjoy enduring savings and improved efficiency. Our association knows that success, because from the beginning, we achieved the same great benefits. Great savings, seamless technology, and responsive service. NYCON highly recommends First Nonprofit’s remarkable unemployment solutions.
Visually Impaired Preschool Services has been a client of First Non-Profit since it was first offered as a benefit of VisionServe Alliance. We completed a thorough evaluation of cash savings to our agency before taking advantage of this wonderful benefit and it has been a very wise decision. Our experience with the processes from accounting to claims have been professional, expeditious and easy.
The Ensight Skills Center has enjoyed working with First Nonprofit for several years. We are enrolled in their Unemployment Savings Program and although we have not required a lot of intervention, there have been a few times. I know others have dealt with the same problem of unemployment fraud over the last year and in our case, a call to First Nonprofit (they actually answer their phones) cleared up the issue. They also sent us a letter to send to all our employees telling them what they needed to do to prevent this in the future and protect themselves. What a relief! Over the years if I have questions or concerns, they are happy to listen, advise and help if they can. Another BIG advantage of using First Nonprofit is that all the money that is paid into the Unemployment Savings Program lives on my balance sheet as an asset. The money continues to be Ensight’s not the governments. First Nonprofit has certainly given me peace of mind.
In addition to their money-saving purpose on behalf of nonprofit organizations like AHS, First Nonprofit’s Nonprofit Unemployment Fund streamlines the information we need to efficiently manage unemployment claims. Our relationship with NU Fund gave us access to such things as advice on planning for what’s ahead and how to analyze cost scenarios when unexpected events occurred. Both experiences were very helpful.
We have had a great experience with FNP. During Covid, when there was the chance that reimbursable nonprofits would have to pay 50% of the unemployment costs, FNP went to bat for us. We would receive weekly information on the Unemployment claim and how they were working to reduce the costs to reimbursable nonprofits. They have a great service also working with [our claims administrator] to make sure all the paperwork is completed correctly for any unemployment claim.