As California employers enter 2026, employment law compliance is no longer just about having policies in place—it is about being able to prove that the company took documented, reasonable steps to comply with the Labor Code before problems arose. Despite the 2024 PAGA reforms, PAGA filings continued to rise through 2025, and courts are now
As California employers enter 2026, one thing is clear: PAGA risk is not going away—and it is not plateauing.
The numbers tell the story. Despite the highly publicized 2024 PAGA reforms, 2025 became the largest year yet for PAGA filings. That reality should reset expectations for California employers. Reform did not reduce filings—it changed how
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An HR lead recently ran a simple 30-minute spot audit and uncovered two issues—meal breaks were routinely starting late at one location, and a manager at another location was unsure whether employees needed to record 10-minute rest breaks. Small corrections, but they prevented what could have escalated into a costly PAGA claim, potentially