California Wage and Hour Laws 2026: New Rules, Overtime, Pay, Leave and Compliance

Overview:

California employers do not usually get into trouble because they ignore the law entirely. More often, the problem starts with ordinary workplace decisions that seem routine at the time: a manager applies the wrong overtime rule, payroll misses a pay stub requirement, a final paycheck is not handled correctly, a paid sick leave notice is outdated, or a worker is treated like an independent contractor when California law points in another direction. In 2026, those day-to-day decisions are even more important because employers must navigate new California developments affecting workplace rights notices, equal pay claim timelines, paid sick leave use, tip theft enforcement, leave rights, pay data reporting, Stay or Pay Provisions  and Cal-WARN requirements, all within one of the most demanding wage and hour environments in the country.

That is why California wage and hour compliance continues to frustrate even experienced HR and payroll teams. The rules do not stop at minimum wage and overtime. Employers also have to understand which wage order applies, when daily or weekly overtime and double time are triggered, what must appear on the pay stub, when show-up pay or split-shift pay may apply, how meal and rest period rules are enforced, what records must be maintained, what notices must be posted, and how final wages must be paid when employment ends. A business can believe it is following general federal standards and still create serious exposure under California’s far more detailed requirements.

This webinar will help attendees step back and look at California wage and hour compliance the way employers need to manage it in real life in 2026: as a system where new laws, payroll practices, manager decisions, notices, recordkeeping, leave administration, and termination procedures all connect. Mark Schwartz will explain the latest legal changes affecting employers this year, while also walking through the core wage and hour rules that continue to generate confusion, complaints, penalties, and costly disputes. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of what to review, what to update, and where their biggest compliance risks are likely to be right now.

Areas covered in the session:

• Wage orders:  How to determine which of the 17 wages orders applies to your company
• Overtime: CA has daily and weekly overtime and daily and weekly double time. Learn how to determine when it’s straight time, overtime or double time.
• Alternative workweeks: Are your employees eligible to have alternative workweeks and are employers required to offer them?
• Minimum Wage -How do credits for meals and lodging or tips affect the current minimum wage
• Reporting or show up pay: does the employer owe wages to any employee for just showing up to work?  Even if there is no work to be performed?
• Split shifts:  Is there a monetary requirement to pay the employee extra if they work a split shift?
• Rules for compensating piece workers
• What are the requirements for posters and payday notices?
• What must be included in the employee's pay stub and what must be excluded?
• What notices are required to be given to employees upon hire or if they are laid off or terminated. What if they go on leave of absence?
• How often must employees be paid in CA?  Does it apply to all categories of employees?
• What methods are permitted to pay employees?  Are there rules for direct deposit?  Can employees be paid by payroll debit card?
• What are the rules for paying out the final paycheck if an employee is terminated.
• Are meal and rest periods required or left up to the employer's policies? If required what are the penalties if the employee does not receive his or her meal or rest period
• Recordkeeping requirements include required time card punches
• Mandatory Sick Leave Law

Why should you attend?

California wage and hour compliance is one of the fastest ways for small errors to become expensive problems. A missed meal period premium, an incorrect pay stub, a late final paycheck, or a misunderstanding about overtime, sick leave, or wage orders can quickly lead to complaints, penalties, audits, or litigation. This webinar will help attendees better understand where employers most often get into trouble and what needs closer attention in 2026.

This session is also valuable because California employers are not dealing only with long-standing wage and hour rules. They are also expected to keep up with new legal developments, updated notices, and changing enforcement priorities while making sure payroll, HR, and frontline managers are all applying the rules consistently. Attending this webinar can help organizations connect those new developments to real workplace decisions before compliance gaps widen.

Most importantly, this webinar is designed to be practical. Instead of looking at wage and hour law only in theory, it will help attendees think through the real-world issues that affect everyday operations, from pay practices and recordkeeping to leave, notices, breaks, and termination-related pay obligations. For employers trying to reduce risk and strengthen day-to-day compliance, this is a timely opportunity to get clearer on what must be reviewed, corrected, and reinforced now.

Handouts:

Attendees will gain access to exclusive handouts, including presentation materials provided by the speaker and additional resources developed by Amorit Education to aid your teams in post-session implementation.

Who will benefit?

This webinar will benefit professionals who are directly responsible for California wage and hour compliance, payroll accuracy, employee classification, leave administration, pay practices, and day-to-day HR risk management. Those include:

• HR Directors/Human Resources Managers
• HR Business Partners/Employee Relations Managers
• Labor Relations Managers/Payroll Managers
• Payroll Administrators/Compensation Managers
• Benefits and Leave Managers/Compliance Managers
• Employment Counsel/Labor and Employment Attorneys
• In-House Counsel/Operations Managers
• Business Owners/Company Presidents
• Chief Operating Officers/Controllers
• Finance Managers/Multi-State HR Managers
• California HR Managers/Workforce Relations Specialists
• Personnel Managers/People Operations Managers/Leave of Absence Administrators