25+ Years Defending CA Employers
Employer-Only Representation
Preventive & Litigation Counsel
Free 15 min. Consultation
Does This Sound Like Your Situation?
Handbook hasn't been reviewed in 12+ months
Recent hire, new manager, or new location added
Arbitration agreement was drafted years ago
Old non-compete or non-solicit language still in agreements
A recent complaint made you nervous about exposure
No Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (SB 553) yet
M&A or investor due diligence requires policy review
Want to know your real exposure before the next claim
What's Actually at Stake
Per employee, if pay stubs miss any of the nine required items under Labor Code § 226(a).
Per employee, per pay period under § 2699 — stacking across the workforce for handbook-driven violations.
Per serious SB 553 violation. No Workplace Violence Prevention Plan in place is now an enforceable gap.
A single missing Armendariz factor can void the entire arbitration agreement, exposing every dispute to public court.
Most employers don't think about handbook gaps until a claim arrives. By that point, the gap is evidence. An audit ahead of time costs a fraction of defending the claim, and most of the highest-cost exposures (§ 226, PAGA, SB 553, arbitration) are entirely fixable.
What Most Employers Assume vs. What Actually Holds Up
What Most Employers Assume
“Our handbook is from 2022. It’s probably fine.”
“The standard arbitration template our prior attorney used is enforceable.”
“Our pay stubs look right.”
“The at-will language at the bottom of the offer letter is enough.”
“Non-compete language doesn’t matter — California doesn’t enforce it anyway.”
What Actually Holds Up
Several major laws have changed since 2022: SB 553, AB 1076, SB 699, pay transparency, FEHA SOL expansion.
Post-Armendariz arbitration agreements require five specific factors. Most older templates miss at least one.
§ 226(a) lists nine required pay stub items. Missing any one triggers per-employee, per-period penalties.
Courts evaluate the entire handbook (and manager conduct) for implied contract terms that erode at-will status.
AB 1076 required written notice to all employees with prior non-compete language by Feb 14, 2024. Most employers missed it.
“Most handbook problems are fixable. The expensive ones are the gaps employers don’t know they have.”
How We Audit Your Handbook and Policies
Inventory Every Document
We collect your handbook, arbitration agreement, offer letter template, NDA, non-solicit, commission and bonus plans, separation templates, IIPP, and any standalone policies. The audit is only as good as the document set we work from.
Map Against Current California Law
We check each document against the current Labor Code, Government Code, IWC Wage Orders, and Cal/OSHA standards, including the 2023 to 2024 changes (AB 1076, SB 699, SB 553, pay transparency) that most older handbooks predate.
Identify the Real-Risk Gaps
Not every gap is worth fixing. We flag the items that actually drive claims (wage statement defects, arbitration enforceability, meal and rest policies that don’t reflect Brinker, missing WVPP) and separate them from the items that are cosmetic.
Rewrite for Enforceability
We rewrite the language that needs it. Armendariz-compliant arbitration. § 226-compliant pay stub format. At-will language that holds up. SB 553-compliant Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. We don’t just flag the problem, we fix it.
Build a Review Cadence
California labor law changes every year. We set up an annual review process so the handbook stays current. The biggest mistake is treating the handbook as a document you write once. The second biggest is not having one at all.
Most employers don't audit until it's too late. Send us what you have. We'll review it in 15 minutes.
No commitment. No pressure. Just a clear picture of where you stand.
What We Audit
Employee Handbook
At-will language. Meal and rest break policies. Overtime classification. PTO and sick leave under SB 616. Anti-harassment policy and training records (AB 1825, SB 1343). Workplace Violence Prevention Plan under SB 553. Pay transparency disclosures under SB 1162.
Agreements
Arbitration agreements against the five Armendariz factors. Offer letters and at-will confirmations. NDAs and confidentiality agreements. Non-solicit language under AB 1076, SB 699, and § 16600.1. Separation and severance templates. Commission and bonus plans under § 2751.
Operational Compliance
Wage statements against the nine § 226(a) requirements. Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Timekeeping policy versus actual practice. Personnel file retention under § 1198.5. Wage theft notice under § 2810.5. Background check and FCRA process.
Every audit is scoped to your business. We don’t run a one-size-fits-all checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we audit our handbook?
Annually at minimum, plus any time California passes major employment legislation (which happens most years). 2023 and 2024 alone brought AB 1076, SB 699, SB 553, SB 1162, SB 616, and FEHA SOL expansion. A handbook written before those changes is almost certainly out of compliance somewhere.
Our handbook was drafted by an attorney. Why do we need another review?
Two reasons. First, California employment law changes faster than most handbooks get revised — a handbook drafted even 18 months ago likely predates AB 1076 notice requirements and SB 553 workplace violence rules. Second, attorneys outside employment specialty often use generic templates that miss California-specific requirements. We’re not reviewing the work, we’re checking the current state against the current law.
Do we need a separate California handbook if we operate in multiple states?
Almost always, yes. California’s labor laws are more employer-restrictive than most other states, and a multi-state handbook that defaults to the lowest common denominator usually misses California-specific requirements (meal and rest premiums, sick leave accrual, pay transparency, FEHA training). The cleanest approach is a base handbook with a California addendum, or a standalone California version.
Is mandatory arbitration still enforceable in California?
Yes. Post-Viking River and the resolution of AB 51 in the 9th Circuit, mandatory arbitration agreements remain enforceable in California if they meet the Armendariz factors (neutral arbitrator, adequate discovery, written award, full remedies, employer pays unique costs). Most older templates miss at least one. A non-compliant agreement gets struck down in its entirety, which is worse than not having one.
How much does a handbook audit cost?
It depends on the scope and what documents need rewriting. Most audits run on a flat fee that’s a small fraction of what defending a single wage claim costs. The consult is free, and we give you a fixed quote before any work starts. Most employers find the audit pays for itself the first time a § 226 or arbitration challenge is headed off.
Audit Your Handbook Before an Employee's Lawyer Does.
California labor law has changed more in the last two years than in the previous decade. If your handbook, arbitration agreement, or wage statement format has not been reviewed since 2023, the gaps are almost certainly there. Send us what you have. We’ll review it, identify the real-risk items, and lay out a fix plan in a free 15-minute call.
Free. No obligation. Responses within 1 business hour. Employer-only representation, never employees.