Labor & Employment Law Checklist
for California Employers

With all of the local, state and federal labor and employment laws, its difficult to keep up with what you need to ensure that your California business is compliant. To assist you with this, we have constructed a list of those items that are required by law and those that although not legally required, are highly recommended (as they often assist in defending against employee lawsuits). If you need assistance with ensuring that you are compliant, contact a member of our team today.

The Must Haves

  1. Employment Applications​ (consistent with AB 168 and AB 1008)
  2. Defined Compensation Structure (consistent with the Equal Pay Act and 2018 AB 168)
  3. DLSE-NTE (completed, signed for all existing and new hire employees)
  4. Non-Harassment Policy (consistent with April 1, 2016 legal requirements)
  5. Defined Paid Sick Leave Policy (consistent with applicable state or local laws)
  6. Non-Discretionary Incentive Plans (defined; signed by all affected employees; applies to bonus and commission plans)
  7. State and Federal Labor Law Posters (new ones in 2018)
  8. Paid Sick Leave (information reflected on employee itemized wage statements)
  9. Meal Periods (records of all meal periods taken by non-exempt employees; clock/punches)
  10. Hours Worked (records of all hours worked by non-exempt employees; clock/punches)
  11. Form I-9 (completed and signed for every employee)
  12. Form W-4 (completed and signed for every employee)
  13. Authorization to Conduct Background Check (signed by every employee in which a background check is conducted)
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The Highly Recommended

  1. Employee Handbook (current with 2018 laws)
  2. Revised Arbitration Agreements (non-mandatory)
  3. Arbitration Rules (attached to Arbitration Agreements)
  4. ​Breaks/Rest Periods (records of all paid breaks/rest periods taken by non-exempt employees; clock/punches)