By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, PHRca, SHRM-SCP
If the March 30, 2026, deadline for distributing Emergency Contact Designation forms came and went a little faster than expected, you are certainly not alone. As a reminder, California employers are required to provide employees with the opportunity to designate an emergency contact under the Workplace – Know Your Rights Act, so now is a good time to confirm the forms have been distributed to all current employees and incorporated into your new hire onboarding process going forward. The form should allow employees to identify who should be contacted in the event of an arrest, detention, or workplace emergency, and whether that person may pick up the employee’s paycheck.
While this requirement may feel like “one more form,” employers should take it seriously and maintain records showing when and how the forms were distributed. If an employee is arrested or detained at the workplace and the employer has actual knowledge of the event, employers may have obligations related to notifying the designated contact and releasing wages consistent with the employee’s written authorization. A little cleanup now can help avoid much larger headaches later, so this is a great item to move toward the top of the HR to-do pile.
Compliant Emergency Contact forms can be found in our Silvers HR Library. If you have questions, please call your Silvers HR consultant.