Beginning January 1, 2025, as a result of the passage of AB 2299, the California Labor Commissioner has been tasked with creating model notices to aid employers in complying with the current mandate of Labor Code section 1102.8, which requires posting notices to employees of their rights and protections under whistleblower laws. The California Department of Industrial Relations has recently published its compliant model notice:
This notice lists “protections [ ] afforded to whistleblowers,” including prohibitions on (1) any rule, regulation, or policy preventing an employee from being a whistleblower, (2) retaliating against an employee who is a whistleblower or is perceived to be a whistleblower, (3) retaliating against an employee for refusing to participate in an activity that would result in a violation of a state or federal statute, or a violation or noncompliance with a state or federal rule or regulation, or (4) retaliating against an employee for having exercised their rights as a whistleblower in any former employment.
If you have any further questions, please contact Tyler Paetkau, Abby Treadwell, or your Husch Blackwell Attorney.