Stephanie Tate

Navigating California's leave laws can be challenging. Our new blog post breaks down FMLA, CFRA, and PDL to help you ensure compliance and protect your business. Don't let confusion impact your bottom line. Read it now: https://lnkd.in/gmcjEMxE

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Are you prepared for the New California HR Requirement for 2026: SB 294 California employers have another compliance requirement on the horizon. Effective February 1, 2026, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act (SB 294) will require employers to distribute an annual written notice to all employees outlining key workplace and constitutional rights - including immigration-related protections, workers’ compensation rights, and the right to organize. This isn’t a one-time posting. It’s an annual requirement, and like many California employment laws, compliance isn’t optional — even for small employers. For business owners, this raises familiar questions: What exactly needs to be included? How should it be distributed? How do we track and prove compliance? How do we make sure this doesn’t get missed year after year? This is where having experienced HR leadership makes a difference. Fair Way HR Solutions helps California employers: • Interpret new employment laws in plain language • Draft and distribute required notices correctly • Build these requirements into an annual compliance calendar • Reduce risk without adding unnecessary administrative burden The goal isn’t just compliance — it’s confidence. If you want to head into 2026 knowing this (and other upcoming requirements) are handled the right way, I’m happy to help.

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Speaking about pay transparency to Fortune, ADP Chief Talent Officer Jay Caldwell said: “This all of the sudden is becoming less of a hypothetical and very real for companies." We couldn't agree more as previously passed regulations go into effect this year and existing rules get sharper teeth. Read our updated round-up here: #paytransparency #equalpay #humanresources #compensation #totalrewards

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California Employers: Big Compliance Changes Are Coming in 2026 — Are You Ready? New California laws are on the way, and they’ll reshape pay transparency, reporting duties, notice requirements, and more. Here’s what’s changing: New Pay Transparency & Equal Pay Requirements (Effective Jan. 1, 2026) 🔷Job postings must include a good-faith salary or wage estimate employers expect to pay upon hire. 🔷California’s Equal Pay Act now protects employees of “another sex,” expanding coverage to non-binary workers. 🔷Statute of limitations extended to three years, with up to six years of available relief. 🔷“Wages” now include all forms of pay: bonuses, stock, travel reimbursement, benefits, & more. Expanded Cal-WARN Act Notice Requirements (Effective Jan. 1, 2026) 🔷Notices must include new details on workforce services, CalFresh, rapid response support, & employer contact info. 🔷If coordinating with the local workforce development board, services must be arranged within 30 days. 🔷Cal-WARN notice not required when layoffs are caused by physical calamity or acts of war. New Mandatory “Know Your Rights” Workplace Notice (Effective Feb. 1, 2026) 🔷Employers must provide a stand-alone rights notice covering workers’ comp, immigration-related protections, union rights, & constitutional rights during law enforcement interactions 🔷Required upon hire, to all current employees by Feb. 1, 2026, & annually to labor representatives. 🔷Must be provided in the employee’s language (if available via the Labor Commissioner). 🔷New emergency-contact rules for employees arrested/detained at work. 🔷Penalties up to $500 per employee per violation. Ban on “Stay-or-Pay” Worker Contract Terms (Effective Jan. 1, 2026) 🔷Prohibits contracts requiring workers to repay training costs, relocation stipends, or similar expenses if employment ends. 🔷Applies to employees, candidates, trainees, & participants in training programs. 🔷Violations allow workers to recover up to $5,000, plus damages & attorneys’ fees. 🔷Several exceptions exist (e.g., government tuition repayment programs, apprenticeship programs). Expanded Personnel Record Requirements (Effective Jan. 1, 2026) 🔷“Personnel records” now include education/training information: provider name, dates, competencies, certifications, & more. 🔷Employers must maintain & provide these records upon request. Employer Takeaways California employers should begin preparing now by: ☑️ Reviewing and updating job posting templates. ☑️Auditing pay practices and compensation structures. ☑️Updating WARN Act procedures & notices. ☑️Preparing to distribute the new “Know Your Rights” notice & track compliance. ☑️Updating employment agreements to remove stay-or-pay provisions. ☑️Ensuring personnel files & training records meet expanded requirements. The volume and complexity of these updates mean early planning is essential. 🦉

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With regulations continually evolving, especially in California and other states known for strict labor laws, staying compliant can feel like moving through a maze. If keeping up with HR changes feels overwhelming or you're confused about how new laws apply to your business, it's time to engage an HR expert. But how do you know when you've hit that point? Here are some of the signals it's time to call in the experts: • Classification: do you have workers classified as independent contractors? This can have substantial legal and financial repercussions. Stay proactive and ask an expert! • Cultural Impact: are HR decisions inadvertently eroding trust, undermining morale, or leading to disengagement on your team? Be proactive and reassess your approach with the help of HR professionals. • Administrative Overload: if errors are becoming more frequent, it's a clear indicator that professional assistance is needed. With a proactive and culture-first approach, you can streamline HR processes, making them more efficient and aligned with your organizational goals. Book a call https://bit.ly/3QAt297 see if we can lighten the HR load! #CultureFirst #ContinuousImprovement #Empowerment

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Annual Reminder for California Employers! Last year, on July 1, 2024, California required most employers to implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP). But compliance with the plan doesn’t stop there. Annual updates and training are also required as part of your WVPP program. Annual Requirements: 🔹 Review & Update Your WVPP - Evaluate its effectiveness and make necessary revisions - Ensure employee involvement in the review and improvement process 🔹 Conduct Annual Training - Cover your WVPP, how to access it, and how employees can participate - Review the law’s definitions and reporting procedures (per Labor Code §6401.9) - Explain job-specific hazards, prevention strategies, and incident reporting - Discuss the required Violent Incident Log and access to records Need help creating or updating your WVPP or delivering required training? SweeterHR can help. #compliance #califroniaemployers #outsourcedhr #hr #california #sweeterhr #safety #workplaceviolenceprevention

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California's Court of Appeal just made payroll simpler for exempt outside sales—but the bigger play is how this ripples through all your variable-pay workers. What happened: In Hirdman v. Charter Communications (Aug 4, 2025), the court confirmed that employers may calculate paid sick leave for exempt outside sales reps using only their base hourly rate, excluding commissions, as long as the same method is used for all other paid leave types (vacation, PTO, etc.) . Why it's powerful: • It erased ambiguity around whether commissions must be included • It affirmed that “exempt” under sick-leave law includes outside sales—no narrow loopholes • It lets HR and finance teams deliver clarity—and reduce payroll complexity But here’s where you can lead the conversation: Non-exempt employees get one of two methods—but both include commissions or earnings, potentially driving higher sick-pay—so you must not apply the exempt formula by default. And for those tricky recoverable draw structures? You’ve got to ask: How do you calculate vacation, PTO, and sick pay? Is it based on the draw? Commissions? You must mirror that method—consistently. What leaders should do now: 1. Audit your sick-leave policy—does it match your vacation/PTO method? 2. Identify who is exempt vs. non-exempt—are you applying the right formulas? 3. Review your draw/commission setup—is your sick-pay aligned with your other leave? Here's your invitation: Be the payroll hero who sees not just the ruling—but the ripple effects through every variable-pay scenario in your company. Simplify. Comply. Thrive.

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