California employers have a long list of state law changes to navigate in 2026, including some that take effect Jan. 1.
Those changes range from a ban on training repayment contracts to steeper penalties for unpaid wage judgments. Employers must update compliance checklists and reassess key pay, human resources, and labor practices and policies, said Lindsay A. Ayers, attorney at CDF Labor Law.
The volume of new laws is significant but not unusual for the Golden State, Ayers said. The state is known for ...