5 Game-Changing California Laws Every Employer Must Know for 2026

Is your California business ready for the wave of new employment laws hitting in 2026? Whether you’re based in the Golden State or have remote employees there, these regulations affect you — and the penalties for non-compliance are no joke. Join host Gene Marks and Paychex HR expert Alex Papazis as they break down the biggest employment law changes coming to California in 2026. From minimum wage bumps to mandatory employee notices, this episode is your compliance survival guide. 📌 What you’ll learn: -Minimum Wage & Salary Updates: New $16.90/hour minimum wage and the $70,304 exempt salary threshold you need to know. -Workplace Know Your Rights Act: New annual notice requirements and emergency contact mandates every employer must follow. -Personnel File Updates: Why training records are now mandatory and how to avoid the $750-per-violation penalty. -Pay Transparency Rules: Wide salary ranges are no more. Learn what good faith estimates really mean. -Stay or Pay Provisions: California is now banning these training reimbursement agreements with very few exceptions. Even if you’re not based in California, if you have one employee living there, these laws apply to you. Plus, California regularly leads the nation in employment legislation, so what starts there often spreads to other states. Consider this your early warning system! 🏛️Need help navigating new employment laws where you do business? Let our experts help: https://bit.ly/meet-paychex 👉 Have a question for upcoming episodes or a topic you want covered? Let us know: https://payx.me/thrivetopics Topics include: 00:00 – Episode preview and welcome 01:46 – Meet Alex Papazis: HR Risk and Response Partner 03:00 – Why California employment laws matter nationwide 04:34 – Minimum wage and exempt salaries 08:12 – The value of outsourcing HR compliance 08:54 – Workplace Know Your Rights Act 12:05 – How Paychex can help navigate compliance 13:29 – Personnel file and training record requirements 16:53 – Pay transparency regulations 20:07 – Stay or pay agreement changes 21:49 – Episode recap and key takeaways 24:22 – Wrap up and thank you #Paychex #THRIVEPodcast #CaliforniaLaws #HRCompliance #EmploymentLaw #2026Laws #BusinessOwners #smallbusiness #businessnews Find helpful business resources from our WORX Knowledge Center portal. Explore topics ranging from HR and compliance challenges, tax tips, employee and performance management, wage and labor laws, marketing, employee benefits and more, at: http://paychex.com/WORX Learn about our company values and commitments at: https://www.paychex.com/corporate/cor... Follow us on LinkedIn:   / paychex   Find Us on Facebook:   / paychex   Join the Conversation on Twitter:   / paychex   Browse our photos and reels on Instagram:   / paychexinc  .