As an update to our prior post, effective January 1, 2025, California employers are required to post a notice about employee whistleblower protections. The model notice is now available from the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
Here’s what you need to know:
- New Model Notice. California has released an updated model whistleblower notice, Whistleblowers are Protected. Using this version guarantees compliance with posting requirements.
- Formatting Requirements. If you choose to use your own version of the notice, it must meet specific criteria.
- Printed on 8.5 x 14-inch paper;
- Margins no larger than half an inch;
- Lettering larger than 14-point font; and
- Include the whistleblower hotline number (1-800-952-5225).
Next Steps for Employers
- Post an Update Notice: Distribute the notice to all employees, including remote workers and display the notice prominently in your workplace immediately.
- Ensure Compliance with Electronic Notice Requirements: For those with remote-only workers, although California law allows electronic distribution of required California notices via email, employers should be mindful that they are still obligated to physically display posters in the workplace, including where employees work remotely 100 percent of the time. If the required notices are distributed electronically, employees must be instructed to post the notices physically. Employees must be reimbursed for expenses and losses incurred by doing so, and time spent printing and posting the notices would be compensable time.
- Implement a Whistleblower Policy: Employers should also ensure that they have implemented a whistleblower policy that includes procedures on how employees may report concerns without fear of retaliation and that human resources and/or management have been trained in the aspects of the law and your internal policy.
