It is time to dust off the employee handbook, review your policies and procedures, and make sure they comply with all the new laws, regulations, and interpretations that went into effect during 2025, became effective in late 2025, or January 1, 2026. Below, we have identified our “top 10” changes.  Please keep in mind there were hundreds of laws, regulations, and changes implemented at the local, state, and federal levels throughout 2025. This summary highlights selected changes most likely to impact California employers and is not intended to be exhaustive. So, if you need a handbook/policy review or have any questions, please call us! 1 – Minimum Wage Update: Updates happen every year.  It’s best to put a calendar reminder in November, to make sure your payroll is ready! Action: Review your payroll to ensure all employees are being paid the new minimum wage, send written notice of the wage change to affected hourly employees, and be sure your salari

DP&F partner Jennifer E. Douglas, and employment law attorney Angela A. Nelson, will be presenting two 2026 Employment Law Update webinars this winter, sharing updates for California employers on December 11th, 2025 and January 13th, 2026. Each session will feature a legal update for changes to employment law in 2026, including updates to employer pay data requirements, minimum wage increases, tip theft laws and new stay-or-pay contracts. Jennifer and Angela will also address ongoing employment law requirements that continue to cause employers difficulty. There are two dates to choose from, one on Thursday, December 11th, and one on Tuesday, January 13th. The topics covered will be the same for both sessions, and registration links are below. Webinar Registration December 11, 2025   |   January 13, 2026

DP&F partner Jennifer E. Douglas, and employment law attorney Angela A. Nelson, will be presenting 2026 Employment Law Updates, sharing updates for California employers on December 11th, 2025 and January 13th, 2026. Each session will feature a legal update for changes to employment law in 2026, including updates to employer pay data requirements, minimum wage increases, tip theft laws and new stay-or-pay contracts. Jennifer and Angela will also address ongoing employment law requirements that continue to cause employers difficulty. There are two dates to choose from, one on Thursday, December 11th, and one on Tuesday, January 13th. The topics covered will be the same for both sessions, and registration links are below. Webinar Registration December 11, 2025 |   January 13, 2026

DP&F partner Jennifer E. Douglas, and employment law attorney Angela A. Nelson, will be presenting 2026 Employment Law Updates, sharing updates for California employers on December 11th, 2025 and January 13th, 2026. Each session will feature a legal update for changes to employment law in 2026, including updates to employer pay data requirements, minimum wage increases, tip theft laws and new stay-or-pay contracts. Jennifer and Angela will also address ongoing employment law requirements that continue to cause employers difficulty. There are two dates to choose from, one on Thursday, December 11th, and one on Tuesday, January 13th. The topics covered will be the same for both sessions, and registration links are below. Webinar Registration December 11, 2025 |   January 13, 2026

California’s minimum wage will be increasing in 2026. For hours worked on or after January 1, 2026, the new California minimum wage will be $16.90/hour, a 2.49% increase from the current rate of $16.50/hour. This new rate applies to all employers, regardless of size. The wage increases also apply to full-time exempt employees, whose minimum salaries will increase to $70,304/year ($1,352/week), also an increase of 2.49% from the current salary minimum of $68,640/year ($1,320/week)  To view the certified letter from the California Department of Finance (DOF) regarding these new minimum wages, click here: https://dof.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/352/2025/08/Minimum-Wage-Increase-Notification-Governor-and-Legislative-Letter.pdf For a current listing of the California City & State Minimum Wages, view our page here: https://californiapayroll.com/california-minimum-wage/ Don’t forget, the required Labor Law Posters will also need to be updated.  Contact us if

One often overlooked aspect is the language in which mandatory posters are displayed. California, known for its diverse population, has specific requirements to ensure that all employees have access to workplace information. Federal Language Requirements for Workplace Posters The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recognizes the importance of communicating with employees in their native languages: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): Employers must provide notices in a language their workforce understands if a significant portion of employees are not literate in English. Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA): Posters must be available in languages commonly spoken by migrant workers who are not fluent in English. Executive Order 13496: Federal contractors and subcontractors must post notices in languages spoken by employees who are not proficient in English. Translations are available through the DOL upon request. Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): Employers mu

What Are Labor Law Postings/Posters? Every employer should be familiar with labor law posting requirements. Postings are required Federal, State, or local regulations regarding employee rights under their employer. Various agencies issue labor law postings to ensure employees receive notice of their rights in the workplace or protocols they must follow. Some common topics in these postings are workplace safety, federal and state minimum wage laws, workplace conduct, and COVID-19 protocols. Depending on the industry or state your company is based in, new postings or the content of existing postings may be updated by their issuing department at any time and often at different intervals. Once their content changes or there is a new posting, employers must display them within specific grace periods to stay compliant. The Department of Labor (DOL) requires employers to display applicable postings at their place of business in an area frequented by all employees. Poster services condens

California's Department of Finance certified a minimum wage increase from $16 per hour to $16.50 per hour, beginning January 1, 2025. This determination will apply to most California employers regardless of size, that don't have special wages for their industry or localities. Why was this CA minimum wage increase implemented? The California Director of Finance analyzes inflation annually via a U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) and determines whether or not to adjust California's minimum wage accordingly. Per California's Labor Code, it's either increased by 3.5 percent or the actual rate of change per CPI, whichever is less. Joe Stephenshaw, California Finance Director, certified the latter option, a 3.18 percent increase in accordance with the department's CPI calculations. How does this minimum wage increase affect full-time exempt employees? This increase also affects the minimum salary requirements for full-time exempt employees. It's currently $66,560 p

In addition to industry specific wage increases coming next month, several cities and counties in California are also increasing local minimum wages. Increased wages apply only to hours worked on and after July 1, 2024. These Local Wage Increases are Effective July 1, 2024 Alameda, CA: $17.00/hour; Berkeley, CA: $18.67/hour; Emeryville, CA: $19.36/hour; Fremont, CA: $17.30/hour; Los Angeles, CA (City): $17.28/hour; $20.32/hour for hotels with 60 or more rooms Los Angeles County, CA (unincorporated areas): $17.27/hour; Malibu, CA: $17.27/hour; Milpitas, CA: $17.70/hour; Pasadena, CA: $17.50/hour; San Francisco, CA: $18.67/hour; $16.51/hour for a small number of “Government Supported Employees”; Santa Monica, CA: $17.27/hour; $20.32/hour for hotels and businesses operating on hotel property West Hollywood, CA: $19.61/hour for hotel employees California employers should adjust their wages to reflect their location. Employers with remote and hybrid employees may need to ad

Employment laws in California are always changing, and it is important for employers in California to keep up with these changes to ensure their policies and practices are compliant. This blog post provides key updates to the California employment laws that all employers should know for this year. Minimum Wage Increase  Beginning January 1, 2024, the state minimum wage for all employers has been increased to $16.00 per hour. This rate reflects a 3.5% increase from this year’s minimum wage based on the law’s provision that allows this increase if the national Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) is over 7%. All employers must post the current minimum wage rate in a common area where employees can easily view it. With this new rate of $16.00/hour, the minimum salary for exempt employees in 2024 has also increased to $66,560.00/year. Note that the minimum salary is tied to the state minimum wage rate, not individual municipalities. Employers should also check if there