California Resources
HR guides for California employers
Plain-language, cited guides on the California employment questions employers ask most — anchored in the Labor Code, the Government Code and the Civil Rights Department, with the federal floor flagged where it controls. California attaches four separate obligations at just five employees, earlier than any other state we cover. General HR information, not legal advice.
- California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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 → - California 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.
Read the guide →
Need an answer now? Our HR Assistant answers California HR questions with citations — set the state to California when you start. Comparing states? See which laws apply at each headcount.