California Employee Handbook Requirements Every Employer Should Know for 2027
California employee handbook requirements surprise many employers, because state law does not require a handbook at all. It does require several written policies, and the handbook is usually where they live. Employers with five or more employees need a written harassment, discrimination, and retaliation prevention policy, and every employer needs a lactation accommodation policy and […]
EDD Audit Guide for California Employers and How to Respond
An EDD audit letter is not an accusation, but it does start a clock. For a California employer, an EDD audit is a payroll tax review by the Employment Development Department that usually covers the last three years and focuses heavily on whether your independent contractors should have been employees. Penalties and interest can add […]
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees in California and How to Classify Them Correctly
Exempt vs. non-exempt employees in California differ in one key way. Non-exempt employees earn overtime, rest breaks, and hourly wage protections, while exempt employees give up those protections in exchange for a qualifying salary and qualifying job duties. An employee is exempt only if they pass a salary test and a duties test, and California […]
New California Employment Laws 2027 and What Employers Should Do Now
The new California employment laws for 2027 mostly take effect on January 1, 2027, though a few start later. The biggest changes raise the minimum wage to $17.40 an hour, limit how employers use AI in discipline and termination decisions, widen bereavement leave, and tighten the rules on stay-or-pay and arbitration agreements. California’s legal definition […]
How to Prevent Retaliation Claims as a California Employer
The most reliable way for an employer to prevent retaliation claims is to separate every complaint from every employment decision, and to prove that separation on paper. In California, that matters more than almost anywhere else, because state law presumes retaliation in some cases when an adverse action follows protected activity within 90 days. Retaliation […]
Reasonable Accommodation and the Interactive Process in California for Employers
Under California law, reasonable accommodation and the interactive process work as a pair. Employers with five or more employees must accommodate a known disability unless doing so would cause undue hardship, and they must engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process to find that accommodation. California treats a failure in either step as its own […]
How Much Does Employment-Defense Counsel Cost in California?
Defending an employment claim in California usually costs between $10,000 and $30,000 if it ends early. It can climb past $75,000 once the case gets deep. If you were just served or got a demand letter, that gap is what you are trying to price out. Here is the honest answer. The cost depends on […]
How Should Employers Respond to a Plaintiff’s Demand Letter in California?
You opened the mail and found a letter from a former worker’s lawyer. It lists claims against your business and asks for money by a deadline. Your gut says to call the worker and fix it. Do not. Here is what to know first. A demand letter is not a lawsuit. And the big number […]
How to Respond to a DLSE / Labor Commissioner Claim in California
You just got a Notice of Claim and Conference from the Labor Commissioner. A worker says you owe them wages. There is a date on the paper, and you need to show up. Do not skip that meeting. And do not touch your records to fix or clean them up. Both moves can hurt you […]
How to Respond to a DFEH/CRD Complaint in California
Your first job is simple. You have about 30 days to send a written response, and the deadline is printed in the letter. Do not miss it. And do not punish the worker who filed, or reach out to them yourself. Both moves can make things much worse. A CRD complaint, once called a DFEH […]