Resources
HR guides for California employers
Plain-language, cited guides on the California HR questions employers ask most — drawn from 45+ years of hands-on HR experience. General HR information, not legal advice.
- Guide · Updated 2026
California Employee Handbook: What to Include
The policies California effectively requires, the ones you should strongly consider, and the mistakes that get employers in trouble.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt in California: How to Classify Correctly
The salary-basis and duties tests, why California is stricter than federal law, and the misclassification mistakes that create real liability.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Meal & Rest Break Rules: An Employer's Guide
Timing, waivers, the premium-pay rules for missed breaks, and the common mistakes that trigger wage-and-hour penalties.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Final Paycheck Rules
When final pay is due on termination vs. resignation, what must be included (incl. accrued vacation), and the waiting-time penalties for paying late.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Leaves of Absence: CFRA, PDL, FMLA & Paid Sick Leave
How California's leave laws layer on top of the federal FMLA — what each covers, who qualifies, and where they stack.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Handling a Harassment Complaint: Investigation Basics
The prompt, thorough, impartial investigation standard — step by step — plus protecting against retaliation and when to bring in counsel.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California New-Hire Onboarding & Compliance Checklist
The paperwork, notices, new-hire reporting, and setup steps California employers must complete when hiring.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Independent Contractor vs. Employee: The California ABC Test
How the ABC test (AB 5 / Labor Code §2775) decides classification, the narrow Borello exceptions, and the steep penalties for getting it wrong.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Overtime Rules: Daily, Weekly & Double Time
Daily and weekly overtime, double time, and the seventh-day rule under Labor Code §510 — how the regular rate works, and who's exempt.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Terminating an Employee in California: Doing It Right
At-will and its limits, final-pay timing, required notices, and the documentation that reduces wrongful-termination risk.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Paid Sick Leave: Accrual, Caps & Carryover
Who's covered, how leave accrues, the 2024 increase to 40 hours / 5 days, caps, carryover, and stricter local ordinances.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Pay Transparency & Equal Pay Rules
Pay-scale disclosure in job postings (SB 1162), the salary-history ban, the Equal Pay Act, and pay-data reporting.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Reasonable Accommodation & the Interactive Process
Your FEHA duty to accommodate disabilities and run a timely, good-faith interactive process — what triggers it and how to do it right.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Minimum Wage & Local Ordinances
The statewide floor, the dozens of higher city/county rates, fast-food and health-care minimums, and how minimum wage drives the exempt salary threshold.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Vacation & PTO Rules
Why earned vacation is wages — no use-it-or-lose-it, mandatory payout at termination, lawful caps, and how PTO differs from sick leave.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Harassment-Prevention Training Requirements (SB 1343)
Who must train, the 2-hour/1-hour rule, timing and frequency, and the abusive-conduct component under SB 1343 / AB 2053.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Workplace Safety & the IIPP (Cal/OSHA)
The eight required IIPP elements, heat-illness and workplace-violence-prevention obligations, and Cal/OSHA injury reporting.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Background Checks: FCRA, ICRAA & Ban-the-Box
The FCRA + ICRAA disclosure steps, the Fair Chance conditional-offer process, the 7-year limit, and the two-step adverse-action sequence.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Business Expense Reimbursement (§2802)
Why California requires reimbursing all necessary work expenses — including a reasonable share of remote-work cell phone and internet.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California WARN Act: Layoff & Closure Notice Rules
When Cal-WARN's 60-day notice applies to mass layoffs, relocations, and closures, who must be notified, and the penalties.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Employment Arbitration Agreements in California
Whether you can require arbitration after AB 51 and Bonta, what makes an agreement enforceable, and how PAGA works after Viking River / Adolph.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Remote-Work Policies: Wage, Hour & Reimbursement
The California rules that follow employees home — reimbursement, timekeeping and breaks for remote staff, safety, and multi-state issues.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Workers' Compensation Basics for Employers
Mandatory coverage, the employer's duties when an injury happens (DWC-1, reporting), return-to-work, and the §132a bar on retaliation.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Lactation Accommodation Requirements
The break time, private space, and written policy required under Labor Code §§1030–1034, plus the federal PUMP Act overlay.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
Understanding PAGA: The Private Attorneys General Act
How an employee can sue on the state's behalf for Labor Code violations, the LWDA notice/cure process, the 2024 reforms, and how to reduce exposure.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL)
Who qualifies, the up-to-4-months entitlement, accommodation and transfer duties, how PDL stacks with CFRA bonding leave, and reinstatement.
Read the guide → - Guide · Updated 2026
California Wage Statement Requirements (§226)
The nine items every California pay stub must show, the penalties for getting it wrong, the sick-leave-balance rule, and why it's a top PAGA target.
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