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Welcome back to our 2026 California employment law update series. In this one, we’ll break down several new and upcoming laws that affect workplaces across the state. From stricter pest management requirements to expanded paid leave and COVID-era rehiring protections, these updates have important implications for employers. Read on to understand what’s already taken effect, what’s coming, and the key action items you’ll want to address.
AB 592 serves up stricter pest management rules
Starting January 1, 2026, Assembly Bill 592 aims to strengthen pest management in restaurants while streamlining certain operational procedures. Under this law, restaurants must develop, document, and make available a written integrated pest management and food safety risk mitigation plan that includes preventative and responsive measures to address vermin and contamination risks, along with procedures for ongoing monitoring and documentation.
Furthermore, the bill requires training for all employees at hire as well as annually on pest-prevention practices, the restaurant’s pest control procedures, and each employee’s role in maintaining a vermin-free environment. Employers also must retain related records and make them available to local enforcement officers upon request.
Action Item: Review your pest management plans now, integrating pest prevention training into onboarding and annual refresher sessions. Make sure your facility’s monitoring and documentation processes are ready for inspection. If you plan ahead, operational disruptions will be minimized when the law takes effect.
When the Federal Board stalls, AB 288 lets California step up
AB 288 gives California’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) limited authority to handle unfair labor practice claims in certain private sector settings. If a worker files a charge under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) doesn’t take action within the required review period, the worker can then turn to PERB to step in. At that point, PERB may now investigate, issue relief, and impose civil penalties.
Action Item: If you’re navigating union activity in your business, prepare for a new state-level backstop. You should also monitor PERB’s upcoming procedures and timelines, so your HR and labor relations teams are ready once AB 288 officially applies.
AB 406 updates: Paid leave’s definition broadens
Some changes relating to this piece of legislation already kicked in on October 1, 2025, including clarifying that employees can use accrued paid sick leave for jury duty and court appearances as a witness.
Now, starting January 1, 2026, the law expands paid and unpaid leave for employees who are victims of certain crimes, or whose family members are victims. This allows them to attend judicial proceedings related to those crimes, such as delinquency hearings, pleas, sentencing, or other proceedings where their rights are affected.
Action Item: Review and update your paid sick leave, jury duty, and crime victim leave policies now. Then update your employee handbook and make sure supervisors and HR understand the new leave reasons and notice requirements so employees can exercise these rights freely. A Civil Rights Department (CRD) notice was already issued for this earlier in the autumn, so distribute that if you haven’t already. Watch out for any updated CRD notices and distribute them once they become available.
California extends job reinstatement protections with AB 858
This law keeps important COVID-era rehiring rules in place for certain laid-off employees, particularly in the hospitality or service industries. The law is currently effective, extending protections that were set to expire on December 31, 2025, through January 1, 2027.
Essentially, eligible workers must continue to be offered recall and reinstatement opportunities, seniority preferences still apply, and retaliation remains prohibited. Enforcement also covers violations that occur through the end of 2026, preserving these temporary pandemic-related protections.
Action Item: Look at your recall and rehiring policies and make sure they reflect the extended COVID-era timeline. Maintain updated recall rosters and ensure supervisors and hiring managers understand the rules.
Don’t wait. Update your policies today.
These laws introduce new obligations across multiple areas for California employers. If any of these apply to your business, now is the time to review pest plans, employee training, union-related procedures, and more. Tackling these updates proactively will keep you compliant and minimize any potential disruptions.
Got questions about how these and other 2026 employment laws will impact you? Talk to us today