California employers are now required to allow employees to designate an emergency contact and indicate whether that contact should be notified in the event of an arrest or detention. That functionality is now available in our OnePoint platform, but here’s what the requirement means and how to stay compliant.
Under California law (Labor Code § 1555), employers must provide California employees the ability to designate an emergency contact and indicate whether that contact should be notified if the employee is arrested or detained. This must be in place for current employees by March 30, 2026.
Employers are responsible for ensuring their employees have the ability to make this designation and that appropriate access is available within Employee Self Service, based on their internal security settings. Employees must be allowed to submit or update this emergency contact information at any time throughout their employment.
Employers are required to notify the designated emergency contact if the employee has authorized it and is arrested or detained at the work site, during work hours, or while performing job duties outside of the worksite, only if the employer has actual knowledge of the arrest or detention.
The California Emergency Contact functionality is now available in OnePoint. When an employee marks a contact as “Emergency” within the Account Contacts section of their Self Service profile, they will be prompted with additional verbiage and a “Yes/No” selection regarding notification in the event of detention.
Security settings have been updated to support this selection for users who already have access to Employee Self Service. Existing permissions related to adding or editing contacts have not been changed. If employees do not currently have access to manage their contacts, a System Administrator within your company account will need to update their security profile.
This field is also available in the Employee Contacts Report for tracking and reporting purposes.
If you have any questions or would like assistance reviewing security settings, please contact our Customer Success Team — we’re happy to help.
Who does the California emergency contact law apply to?
This requirement applies to employees working in California. Employers must ensure that eligible employees have the ability to designate an emergency contact and indicate notification preferences.
Do employers need to notify emergency contacts in all cases?
No. Employers are only required to notify the designated contact if the employee has authorized it and the employer has actual knowledge of an arrest or detention under the conditions outlined in the law.
Do out-of-state employers need to comply?
Employers with employees working in California may still be subject to this requirement, even if the organization is headquartered in another state. Employers should evaluate how the law applies to their workforce.*
*For employers outside of California, these requirements may still be applicable even if the organization is headquartered in another state. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each employer to evaluate their own obligations and determine whether and how this requirement applies to their organization. Customers subscribed to our HR Ask an Expert (formerly Ask a Pro) service may submit HR-related questions to a licensed HR professional for guidance specific to their organization and compliance needs.