California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 2299 on July 15, which requires the state’s labor commissioner to develop a model list of employee rights and responsibilities under existing whistleblower laws. Employers will be required to post this notice beginning Jan. 1, 2025. The notice must be written in a font larger than 14 point and contain the telephone number of the whistleblower hotline.
Under existing California law, employers are required to post certain workplace notices, including a list of employees’ rights and protections under whistleblower laws. However, the current law does not require employers to post a specific notice drafted by the labor commissioner outlining employee rights and responsibilities under whistleblower laws.
The labor commissioner previously issued a sample notice pursuant to the current law which includes the disclaimer that the labor commissioner does not guarantee its posting by employers fulfills the requirements of California law.
The new bill simply codifies the requirement for the labor commissioner to develop a model notice that complies with employers’ existing posting requirements so that employers posting the model notice shall be deemed in compliance with the law.
This requirement will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Monica H. Bullock is an attorney with Jackson Lewis in Riverside, Calif. © 2024 Jackson Lewis. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission.
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