Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
CALIFORNIA’S ANNUAL OCCUPATION CENSUS
Two Steps Will Expand Employee Data Reporting Law
California Government Code 12999 mandates businesses with 100 or more employees on payroll and/or hired through labor contractors submit an annual pay data report to the Civil Rights Department (CRD) “[on] or before the second Wednesday of May …”
WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
PERSONNEL RECORDS ACCESS
Employee Rights Expanded
Under Labor Code 1198.5, former and current employees have had the right once a year to inspect and receive copies of their personnel records relating to performance and grievances.
SB 513, effective January 1, 2026, expands access to include education and training documentation, to include:
WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
FAIR PAY FULL DISCLOSURE
Compensation Protections Across All Pay Types
Effective January 1, 2026, Senate Bill (SB) 642 expands California’s equal pay and pay-scale disclosure laws, strengthening pay-equity protections and transparency requirements.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
NO PAY TO STRAY
New Law Limits Employee Repayment Agreements
Starting January 1, 2026, California’s Assembly Bill (AB) 692 prohibits employers from requiring that employees pay money back simply because they quit or are fired. The law strengthens the state’s long-standing rule that protects employees’ right to change jobs freely.
TEAM BUILDING FOUNDATION
Workplace Policy Handbook & Forms for 2026
We are updating our “hire-to-fire” forms and template policy manual for 2026. Place your order to be one of the first to receive these updates.
Basic written office policy and procedures geared toward production create an easily navigable workplace, helping reduce the inter-staff confusions and operations slows.
ELECTION DAY RIGHTS
Paid Voting Time Off Requirements
A California employee unable to vote in a statewide election outside of work hours is entitled to voting time off at either the beginning or end of shift. Upon receiving a voting receipt from the employee, the company must pay for up to two hours of that voting time.
WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
SIGN OF THE TIMES
Beginning February 1, 2026, all California employers must provide each worker an annual, stand-alone notice summarizing key labor protections and constitutional rights. While commercially available “poster sets” of various workplace laws have been common, these incoming Labor Code sections aim to standardize and, in the face of growing Homeland Security aggression, expand the scope of such notices.
FIND OUT WHAT’S NEW IN 2026
FRESH YEAR NEAR
Annual Virtual Seminar for Employers
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, January 30, 2026
Friday, February 27, 2026
Covering Employment Legal Essentials and New Workplace Laws
Secure your spot for our virtual sessions on “what’s new” in California employment law for 2026.
AVOID A SCARE
Celebrate Halloween Safely at Work
A well-planned Halloween celebration can boost morale and build teamwork. Without clear boundaries though, it can lead to uncomfortable or even risky situations under California’s strict workplace laws. Here’s how to keep it festive and compliant.
NO LESS THAN
A History of Minimum Wage Laws
With two exceptions (New Zealand, 1894; Australia, 1896), no country had a minimum wage law until the 20th Century. Instead, employers paid supposed “just (or fair) wages” on the purported mutual consent of their workers.