The year-end holidays tend to be a time when employers and employees are either winding down for the year or making one last big push to close the year strongly.  California employers should make time this week, though, to ensure they are ready for the new laws which will take effect in California this Friday – New Year’s Day – that will directly and immediately impact the workplace.

As a reminder, there are some notable employment-related laws which take effect January 1, 2016.  Click here to view a copy of those laws.  The list includes minimum wage hikes, other wage and hour amendments, expanded time off and sick leave, and expanded enforcement of state and local wage and hour laws conferred upon the Labor Commissioner.  For information on additional new laws and legislation, please see our previous blog titled: California Governor Signs a Bevy of Employment Laws, Vetoes a Few Others.

Companies should ensure that their pay practices, handbooks, job descriptions and records retention practices are compliant with the new laws and ensure that internal or third party payroll processors, supervisors, and human resources personnel are up to date, particularly regarding the new equal pay and leave laws and whistleblower, discrimination, and retaliation protections.  (The following is not an exhaustive list of the hundreds of new laws that take effect in 2016 and is only a summary of the laws listed.  Please consult your employment attorneys at Weintraub Tobin to answer questions and provide the details and nuances as applied to your company.)