Make Your HR List & Check it Twice!

With pumpkin spice and eggnog all around us, the holiday season is in full swing! Now is a great time to revisit your California compliance obligations before year’s end. From wage increases and new employee notice obligations to updated handbook policies and training requirements, there’s a lot to consider. We’ve got you covered as you make your annual HR list—check it twice—and ring in the New Year!

• Increasing Wages: On January 1, 2026, California’s minimum wage will increase to $16.90/hour, and the minimum exempt annual salary will increase to $70,304. Employers also need to track local minimum wages, as many local wages increase on January 1 each year. Any time there is a change in pay for your employees, you should document the change and the effective date. For non-exempt employees, it is best to complete an updated Wage Theft Prevention Act Notice for employee distribution and save a copy for personnel files.
• New Notice & Form Obligations: In 2026, California employers have brand new notice and form-related obligations, including:
  • Workplace Know Your Rights Notice: By February 1, 2026, employers must provide a stand-alone written notice to all current employees (and any authorized representatives, if you have a union) regarding specific worker rights such as immigration, constitutional rights, and workers’ compensation. This notice must also be provided annually and upon hire. The Labor Commissioner is currently developing a sample notice for this purpose, so stay tuned!

• • Emergency Contacts: Employers must allow all current employees to name an emergency contact in the event the employee is arrested or detained, on or before March 30, 2026, and upon hire.

• • Crime Victims’ Notice: As a reminder, employers are required to provide the Civil Rights Department’s Survivors Right to Time Off Notice to all employees annually, upon hire, upon request, and any time an employee informs an employer that the employee or an employee’s family member is a crime victim. We are waiting for the CRD to revise this Notice for 2026, so again, stay tuned!

CEA Members: Once available, we will email you a packet of these forms and notices to help you stay in compliance. Be sure to subscribe to our email list if you haven’t already.

• Updated Posting Requirements: As laws change, required State and federal notices are updated each year. Many of the poster requirements carry fines if you are out of compliance. Be sure to order your 2026 Labor Law Poster here.Reminders: Employers must display all required federal and state posters in a noticeable or conspicuous place at the worksite, and distribute them to fully remote workers. If more than 10% of your workforce speaks a language other than English, you must post many of the required notices in their language as well.

• Employee Handbook Policies: Based on the 2026 new laws, employers need to update their policies for crime victims’ leave, paid sick leave, jury duty & witness leave, and others. CEA also recommends including a policy on “automated decision-making systems,” or “artificial intelligence” in your handbook, based on the Civil Rights Department’s regulations effective October 1, 2025. Want CEA to create a customized handbook or help you update it? Give us a call at 800.399.5331.

Required Trainings: Workplace Violence Prevention Training is required annually, and Harassment Prevention Training is due for your staff every two years. Annual CEA Members can register for complimentary harassment prevention trainings held live on March 12 and September 9.

We appreciate the opportunity to support you and our members, and we wish you a happy holiday season!