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Board asks county counsel, labor office to design voluntary 'Know Your Rights' training for fast‑food workers
Summary
Supervisors referred staff to develop a model, voluntary full‑day know‑your‑rights curriculum for fast‑food workers and to report back with implementation options; the board also requested a public hearing and asked staff to consider cost recovery, delivery formats and outreach to small and immigrant‑owned businesses.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on April 8 directed county counsel and the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) to develop a voluntary full‑day “Know Your Rights” training curriculum for fast‑food employees and to return to the board in August with options for implementing a county program.
Why it matters: County staff and board members said surveys and research show many fast‑food workers lack basic workplace rights information — for example, rules on breaks, pregnancy accommodations or recovery from wage theft. Supporters argued a high‑quality, culturally competent training offered in multiple languages and formats would help workers protect themselves and help well‑intentioned small employers comply with complex labor rules.
The board’s direction and amendments: Supervisors Jung and Ellenberg sponsored the referral. The board asked staff to design a “top‑tier, gold‑standard” curriculum and to include options for outreach and delivery (in‑person, multi‑day or modular delivery, and digital follow‑ups), cost recovery or employer reimbursement models, and measurable success metrics. The board also directed OLSE to hold a public listening session by July 30 for locally owned businesses and workers to give feedback before the August report.
Additional directions accepted as friendly amendments included: consider partnerships that would distribute bilingual/trilingual printed materials at county‑funded clinics and prenatal visits for expectant parents; propose incentives and an employer recognition program modeled on the county’s Healthy Nail Salon recognition; and include possible measures to avoid imposing costs on small local franchise owners.
Public comment and timing: Dozens of fast‑food workers, union and advocacy organizations urged the board to adopt the training, saying it should be in‑person and paid. Several locally owned franchisees urged caution about costs and urged the county to design flexible options. The board unanimously approved the referral.
Ending: County staff will draft a recommended curriculum, cost models and implementation options and return to the board in August; the board asked that the report include metrics of success, options for outreach and the results of a July public listening session.
