Free Sample AI Policy for California Employers

Do California Employers Need an AI Use Policy?

Yes. Any California employer whose staff can access tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini should have a written AI policy. Employees are already using these tools to draft emails, summarize documents, write code, and more. Without clear guidance, employees could unintentionally be creating risk:

• Confidential client data or trade secrets pasted into a public AI tool
• Inconsistent work quality when AI output isn't reviewed
• No clear line between acceptable use and misuse
• California-specific compliance gaps (privacy law, trade secret protection, employment practices)

What Should an AI Workplace Policy Include?

An effective AI workplace policy should cover confidentiality and data protection, proprietary information safeguards, work quality standards, and clear acceptable-use guidelines. This sample AI policy gives you a professionally drafted starting point. It's editable, so you can adapt it to your company's needs.

What it covers:

• Confidentiality & Data Protection — Clear rules on what employees can and can't input into AI tools, including client data, financial information, and trade secrets
• Work Quality & Accountability — Standards for reviewing and verifying AI-generated content before it's used or shared
• Acceptable Use Guidelines — A framework employees can actually understand and follow, reducing ambiguity and inconsistent enforcement
• California-Specific Considerations — Drafted with California's employment and privacy landscape in mind