Workplace surveillance

The law protects employee privacy in bathrooms while preserving limited use of tools needed for safety, identification, access, or legal compliance.

What the law does ​

• Prohibits employers from using workplace surveillance tools to monitor employees in workplace bathrooms, unless a court orders it.
• Gives employees the right to leave surveillance tools in their possession outside a bathroom, except when they must remain available during meal or rest periods under federal or existing state law.
• Allows employers to check tools only for a one-time bathroom entry and exit.
• Allows employees to bring tools into bathrooms voluntarily, or when required for identification, safety, or access, if the required tool records no audio or video and has no embedded or attached artificial intelligence.
• Authorizes the Labor Commissioner and public prosecutors to enforce the law, with penalties of up to $500 per violation.
• Preserves surveillance required by federal or existing state law and narrowly exempts federally required surveillance for specified aircraft, national-security, military, space, and defense operations.

Who it affects ​

• Employees, including public-sector employees and workers supplied by labor contractors.
• Employers, including state and local government entities, school districts, contractors, and farm and foreign labor contractors.
• Employers using cameras, audio tools, time-tracking systems, geolocation, biometric systems, or similar employee-monitoring tools.