Your handbook came from a template, or nobody has touched it in years. Since then, California has changed its sick leave rules, added workplace violence requirements, and expanded its list of protected categories. When a claim arrives, the employee’s lawyer reads your handbook first.
Karin Backstrom drafts, reviews, and updates employee handbooks for San Diego employers, so your policies match current law and the way your business runs.
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No California law requires a handbook. California does require several written policies, though, and most employers keep them in a handbook. A handbook also sets expectations, supports discipline decisions, and shows that you told employees how to raise complaints.
It cuts both ways. A clear, current handbook helps you defend a claim. An outdated one hands the other side a list of promises you did not keep.
Handbook work is part of Backstrom Labor Law’s HR advice and counseling for employers. Because Karin also defends claims in court, she drafts every policy with litigation in mind. That combination is what you want from an employer defense attorney in San Diego, since the attorney who writes the policy knows how it will be tested.
These are the written policies and plans that most California employers must have. Your exact list depends on your size and industry.
| Policy | What California requires |
|---|---|
| Harassment, discrimination, and retaliation prevention | A written policy that lists protected categories, offers a complaint process that does not require going to a direct supervisor, promises a fair and timely investigation, and bans retaliation. Translate it when 10% or more of a facility’s workforce speaks another language. |
| Lactation accommodation | A policy in the handbook or policy set that explains how to request accommodation and the right to file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner (Labor Code 1034). |
| CFRA family and medical leave | If your handbook describes other types of leave, it must also describe CFRA leave. CFRA applies to employers with five or more employees. |
| Pregnancy disability leave | If your handbook covers other leaves or accommodations, it must also describe pregnancy disability leave and accommodation rights. |
| Workplace violence prevention plan | Since July 1, 2024, most employers need a separate written plan under Labor Code 6401.9. It can stand alone or sit within the Injury and Illness Prevention Program. |
A handbook paragraph does not replace a workplace violence prevention plan.
Your harassment policy also does real work in court. A strong policy, a clear complaint path, and proof that employees received it are core defenses for any sexual harassment defense attorney in San Diego. For a full list with explanations, see this checklist of California employee handbook requirements.
Many templates cover state law and stop there. If your employees work within the City of San Diego, the city’s Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance also applies.
State law sets its own paid sick leave floor of 40 hours or five days a year. Your policy needs to satisfy both rules, which usually means following whichever is more generous on each point.
Karin reviews your handbook against current state and city rules and shows you exactly which policies need to change.
A template can look complete and still create exposure. These are the problems that come up most often in California.
The biggest risk is a gap between policy and practice. When the handbook says one thing and managers do another, that gap fuels PAGA claims against San Diego employers, where penalties multiply across the workforce.
Review your handbook at least once a year, ideally before January 1, when most new California laws take effect. This summary of California employment laws taking effect in 2027 shows what is coming next.
Update it sooner when one of these happens:
Some yearly duties sit outside the handbook but belong on the same calendar. One example is California’s annual Know Your Rights notice to employees, which began in 2026.
Karin handles your handbook personally, from the first conversation to the final draft.
She asks about your workforce, locations, schedules, and the issues that come up most.
She compares your current handbook with what managers actually do.
She writes policies employees can understand and managers can follow.
She coordinates your harassment policy, lactation policy, and workplace violence plan.
She sets up complaint and investigation steps that work, with access to attorney-guided workplace investigation support when a serious complaint arrives. Accommodation policies describe how the interactive process works in practice.
She helps with acknowledgment forms, electronic tracking, translations, and manager training.
Karin drafts or updates your handbook in plain language, built around California law, San Diego rules, and your real practices.
A handbook is a legal document and a management tool. You want an attorney who understands both.
Karin defends employers in court, so she knows which handbook phrases cause problems. If a claim arrives, the attorney who wrote your policy is already on your side.
Karin teaches courses for the Human Resources Certification Institute, the body behind the PHR and SPHR credentials. Read more about Karin Backstrom's credentials.
Policies only work when employees read them and managers follow them. Karin writes in plain, direct language.
Karin provides employee handbook counsel in Old Town San Diego for employers across San Diego County and California.
No. California does require certain written policies, including a harassment, discrimination, and retaliation prevention policy and a lactation accommodation policy. Most employers keep these in a handbook.
Sometimes. A handbook is usually not a contract when it clearly states that employment is at will and that policies can change. Language that promises job security or specific discipline steps can create obligations a court may enforce, so review those sections with care.
At least once a year, and sooner when the law changes, your workforce grows, or you add locations. California passes new employment laws every year, many of them effective January 1.
You can, but California employees usually need a California supplement or a separate handbook. California rules on leave, breaks, and pay often differ from other states.
A signed acknowledgment is one accepted way to show employees received your harassment policy, and electronic tracking can also work. Either way, keep proof of receipt in the personnel file.
Yes. The City of San Diego has its own earned sick leave and minimum wage rules for employees who work within city limits. You can review the City of San Diego minimum wage and sick leave rules on the city's website.
It depends on your size, locations, and whether you need a new handbook or an update. Ask for a defined scope and estimate during your consultation so you know the cost before work begins.
Send Karin your current handbook. She will review it and explain what needs to change to protect your business.
