Quick Story:
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
July 1 is just around the corner, and with it comes a series of local minimum wage increases across Southern California. For employers operating in multiple jurisdictions, staying compliant can be complex—but it’s essential to avoid costly penalties and maintain employee trust.
Below is a breakdown of the new rates, followed by a practical compliance
Employers in California should periodically review their employee documentation and record retention policies to ensure compliance with state laws. Below are five critical areas to audit as of 2025:
1. Are Employee Time Records Maintained for at Least Four Years?
California law requires employers to track hourly employees’ start and stop times, meal periods, and total
The California Supreme Court’s decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc. represents a significant win for employers across the state, providing much-needed clarity on wage statement requirements and the categorization of premium pay for missed breaks. While this ruling alleviates some of the complexities surrounding California’s stringent labor laws, it also serves as a
Labor Code section 226 requires that employers provide to employees semimonthly or at the time of each payment of wages, either as a detachable part of the check, or separately if wages are paid by personal check or cash, accurate itemized statements in writing. The Labor Code refers to these documents as “itemized statements”, but
California employers have many obligations under the Labor Code to create and maintain time records. However, the Labor Code does not address many specific issues about time keeping systems and employers moving to electronic records. While employers have not yet started to use the blockchain to record employee’s time and report pay information to employees
This week’s Friday’s Five covers five huge misconceptions about California employment law that can land employers into huge legal trouble:
1. Meal and rest breaks seem so trivial.
The topic may seem trivial for companies that have not faced this litigation before, or for out of state employers who wrongly believe California cannot be much
As we approach the close of 2015, employers should take the time to review their 
employment law policies and practices. I’m often asked where should the process start? Here are five areas employers can focus on to start the audit process:
1. Employee handbooks
Employers need to ensure their policies are up to date, and
1. It does not matter if you are a start-up, mom and pop business, or a fortune 500 company, employment laws cannot be ignored.
While different laws do apply to larger employers, for the most part, every employer has to comply with roughly the same laws in California. California’s paid sick leave requirement that took
The
DOL is pushing for regulations to require employers to provide more information about how employee’s paychecks are calculated. This week, the Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said that the Department of Labor is backing a proposal that would require employers to provide more information to employees in order help stop wage and hour violations. Bloomberg