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:

  • Designate (or update) an emergency contact; and
  • Indicate whether that contact should be notified if the employee is arrested or detained.

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 during work hours — provided the employer has actual knowledge of it.

This is a live operational requirement, not just a form to file. Employers need systems in place to actually execute the notification if and when a triggering event occurs.

2. Update Your Forms and Onboarding Documents Now

The March 30 deadline requires a discrete, documented outreach to every current California employee. The standard “emergency contact” field that may already exist in your new hire paperwork is not sufficient on its own. SB 294 requires a specific opt-in: employees must separately indicate whether they want the designated contact notified in the event of an arrest or detention.

Your updated form or acknowledgment should capture:

  • The designated contact’s name, relationship, and contact information;
  • A clear opt-in or opt-out indicating whether notification is authorized; and
  • A dated acknowledgment of the employee’s response.

For new hires going forward, this form should be integrated into your standard new hire packet alongside existing notices, I-9s, and arbitration agreements. Employers who already use centralized onboarding checklists will have an easier time embedding this requirement — but all employers should confirm that their documents are updated before March 30.

Also note: the law requires that employees be given the opportunity to update this information over the course of their employment. Build that flexibility into your process.

3. Train HR and Managers on the Notification Protocol

Collecting the emergency contact information is only half the obligation. The harder part for most employers will be ensuring that the notification actually happens when it needs to.

Employers should designate a clear internal owner for this process and train the following on what to do in a triggering event:

  • HR personnel who may be the first point of contact when law enforcement arrives at the workplace;
  • Security staff and front-office managers who are on-site and may witness an arrest; and
  • Supervisors who may be managing an off-site employee when a detention occurs during work hours.

The training should cover: (1) where emergency contact designations are stored and how to access them quickly; (2) the constitutional rights of employees during law enforcement interactions, as outlined in the SB 294 notice; and (3) the employer’s anti-retaliation obligations — an arrest at the worksite does not by itself constitute grounds for termination.

Remember that the Labor Commissioner’s Office will release educational videos by July 1, 2026 covering both employee rights and employer obligations under SB 294. Incorporating those into your compliance training once available will help demonstrate good-faith compliance.

4. Build a Recordkeeping System That Covers Both SB 294 Obligations

SB 294 carries documentation requirements for both the February 1 notice and the March 30 emergency contact collection. Employers must retain proof of compliance for at least three years. That means your recordkeeping system needs to capture:

  • Evidence that the Know Your Rights notice was delivered to each employee by February 1;
  • The completed emergency contact form for each employee (or a documented record that the employee was given the opportunity to designate a contact and declined); and
  • For new hires going forward, records showing when and how these items were provided at onboarding.

This is an area where many employers remain exposed simply because their employee records systems are fragmented. Onboarding documents live in one place, time and payroll records in another, compliance notices somewhere else.

5. Know the Penalty Exposure — It Is Layered and Significant

Noncompliance with SB 294 is not a minor administrative oversight. The civil penalties are substantial — and they stack.

  • Failure to provide the Know Your Rights notice: up to $500 per employee per violation;
  • Failure to collect emergency contact designations or notify a designated contact when required: up to $500 per employee per day, with a maximum of $10,000 per employee.

These penalties are enforced by the Labor Commissioner and can be imposed by a public prosecutor.

Bottom Line for Employers

The March 30, 2026, deadline is a firm statutory date with real penalties attached. Employers who handled the February 1 Know Your Rights notice distribution are partway there. But the emergency contact obligation is a separate requirement with its own forms, training demands, and notification procedures.

Before March 30, employers should:

  • Distribute updated emergency contact designation forms to all current California employees;
  • Integrate the form into new hire onboarding packets going forward;
  • Train HR and managers on how to handle a triggering notification event;
  • Ensure emergency contact records are stored in a centralized, accessible location; and
  • Document everything — your three-year retention obligation starts now.

California continues to expand employer obligations around workforce transparency and documentation. Employers who act now will be in the strongest position when the Labor Commissioner begins enforcement.

Want to go deeper on California’s 2026 compliance requirements? Join our upcoming Masterclass for a comprehensive review of onboarding documentation strategies and other hiring issues on Tuesday, March 24 at 10:00 AM, register here.