⚠️ This platform provides general educational information only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Consult a licensed California employment attorney before taking any compliance action.
Free Tool · Updated for 2026

California HR Compliance Checklist 2026

A comprehensive 57-item checklist covering California employment law requirements for small and mid-size businesses. Updated to reflect 2026 laws including SB 553 (WVPP), SB 1162 (pay transparency), and the Fair Chance Act.

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57
Checklist items
11
Compliance modules
27
CA laws covered

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Recruiting

  • Pay scale in all job postings (15+ employees)
  • No salary history requests
  • Fair Chance Act — no conviction history before conditional offer (5+ employees)

I-9 Verification

  • I-9 completed within 3 days of hire
  • Acceptable documents verified
  • I-9 stored separately from personnel file

Workplace Violence Prevention (WVPP)

  • Written WVPP policy in place (SB 553)
  • Annual WVPP training completed
  • Violent incident log maintained

Wages & Hours

  • All employees paid at or above $16.50/hr state minimum wage
  • Meal and rest break policies followed
  • Overtime calculated correctly (over 8hrs/day or 40hrs/week)

Employee Handbook

  • Handbook reviewed in past 12 months
  • Signed acknowledgment on file for all employees
  • Anti-harassment policy meets CA DFEH requirements

+ 6 more modules: Pay Equity, Leave Management, Benefits, Termination, Contractor Audit, EEO-1

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Key California Laws Covered

SB 553 (2024)
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan required for all CA employers
SB 1162 (2023)
Pay scale required in job postings (15+ employees)
AB 168
Salary history ban — never ask applicants about prior pay
Fair Chance Act (AB 1008)
No conviction history before conditional offer (5+ employees)
FEHA
Broad anti-discrimination protections; interactive accommodation process required
CA Labor Code §1030
Lactation accommodation required for all CA employers
WARN Act (WARN + Cal-WARN)
60-day notice required for mass layoffs (75+ employees)
EEO-1 / CA Pay Data Report
Annual pay data reporting (100+ employees)

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