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Consulting Overview

California Employers Association (CEA) assists employers by offering Human Resource guidance, conducting trainings, drafting employee handbooks, and other HR projects, virtually and onsite. CEA also offers hands-on HR support through our HR Assist program. Across the broad range of services provided, CEA's role is to offer HR guidance, solutions, and best practices. However, CEA is not the decision-maker for any employer, nor does CEA have the authority to act on any employer’s behalf. To that end, we have outlined some information regarding how companies can and cannot be assisted.

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CEA Can Assist You By:

  • Providing general HR guidance, options, and best practices to consider
  • Developing, reviewing, or revising an employee handbook or policy
  • Preparing and delivering customized trainings, coaching, and outplacement services
  • Providing conflict management services
  • Onboarding and training employees
  • Administering leaves of absence paperwork
  • Assisting with internal workplace investigations (an employer representative must be present for all interviews and the employer is the decision-maker/signatory)
  • Creating or revising job descriptions
  • Conducting HR audits and/or I-9 audits
  • Communicating disciplinary action and/or a termination decision (an employer representative must be present, and the employer is the decision-maker/signatory)
  • Representation at Unemployment Insurance Hearings and Labor Commission (DLSE) Hearings
  • Responses to DLSE, CRD, and EEOC claims
  • Workforce Transition and Outplacement Services

However, CEA Cannot:

  • Provide legal advice or strategy
  • Draft employment contracts
  • Make employment decisions on behalf of the employer
  • Take possession of original copies of: personnel files, I-9 Forms, tax forms, or any other employment records, whether confidential or not
  • Run payroll or implement changes in an employer’s payroll system
  • Conduct a payroll audit for wage and hour compliance by reviewing employees’ payroll records
  • We cannot be solely responsible for accepting employee complaints/grievances. All complaints should be routed through a Company-provided email/phone number, like an Employee Action Hotline.
  • We do not sign any documents that may impact an employee’s terms and conditions of employment, such as offer letters, termination letters, raise/demotion letters, wage theft notices, disciplinary action, and/or internal investigation reports on behalf of any employer. However, we can prepare these documents for your approval and signature.

In addition to the benefits included with our membership plans, CEA offers additional services to members and non-members through billable hours.

Billable Hours

Billable Consultation Hours: We charge consultation hours when you request project work that goes beyond the phone, email, or consulting support included with a membership plan. Please note that while CEA members have no limit on the number of phone calls or emails they can place for HR support, consultation time for each issue is generally limited to 15 minutes. If you need additional consultation time beyond 15 minutes, it may incur a billable charge at our rate of $250/hour for members. Be sure to discuss this with your HR Advisor. Also, please note that we limit the number of authorized callers per account to 10.

Premier and Ultimate membership plans include eight (8) consultation hours annually. These hours do not roll over if they are not used. Coaching and essential skills trainings do not fall under consultation hours and are available through our Member Services department.

Compensation Surveys, Affirmative Action Plans, and Recruiting, among other services, are offered by our Partners.

The member bill rate is $250/hour.

The non-member bill rate is $325/hour.

Services are billed in quarter-hour increments for members.

After Hours/Premium Pay: Work performed for members or nonmembers, Monday through Friday before 8:00 am and after 5:00 pm PST and/or on weekends or on a federal or state holiday, will be subject to an additional charge of $250.00 per occurrence.

RUSH Premium: Premium for any Hearings or Representation scheduled with less than 7 days’ notice: $500 for CEA members; $750 for non-members.

Travel Time: Two hours of travel time are billed when an onsite visit is requested or required for a training or hearing at $500/roundtrip. There is no travel charge for the initial Ultimate Membership HR Audit.

CEA provides HR Support that is educational and informational in nature and does not provide legal representation or legal advice.

Eff. 3.12.2024. Updated 9.3.2026.