Why I am running a free California law update every quarter

California does not change its employment rules once a year. It changes them on a rhythm: new statutes in January, filing deadlines in the spring, city wage increases in July, and a wave of newly signed bills every fall. A small employer who checks in once a year is always a season behind. So starting in January, I am running a free update every quarter, timed to the dates the rules actually move.

Why quarterly, and why these months

The calendar is set by law, not by me. Under the California Constitution, article IV, section 10, the Governor has until September 30 in even-numbered years, and until mid-October in odd-numbered years, to sign or veto the bills the Legislature sends at the end of session. Most of what gets signed takes effect January 1. Between those two points sit the spring reporting deadlines and the July 1 local wage increases. Four sessions a year means 4 checkpoints, each landing just before or just after a date that costs employers money when it is missed.

What each session covers

• January: the laws that took effect January 1, the new state and city minimum wages, and the February 1 deadline to give every employee the annual Workplace Know Your Rights notice under Labor Code section 1554, plus the Cal/OSHA 300A summary posting.
• April: the pay data report due the second Wednesday of May for employers with 100 or more employees under Government Code section 12999, new state regulations, and the bills worth watching that session.
• July: Bay Area minimum wage increases in San Francisco, Berkeley, Emeryville and other cities on July 1, and which pending bills survived their house of origin.
• October: what the Governor signed and vetoed, what it means at your headcount, and a 90-day plan to be ready by January 1.

How the hour runs

Each session runs 60 minutes, noon to 1 p.m. Pacific, online. I spend the first 40 minutes on what changed and what to do about it, sorted by headcount, because a rule that binds 15 employees and a rule that binds 100 call for different work. The last 20 minutes are open questions. Every change I cover links back to the statute or agency source, the same standard I hold every article on this site to.

Who it is for

It is built for founders without an HR department, HR teams of one, and managers carrying the people side at urban organizations of 5 to 150 employees. It is also useful for urban professionals who want to know what their employer now owes them. There is no pitch built into the hour. If your situation needs more than a question and an answer, the compliance check-up and The HR Desk are there, and you can find them on your own time.

A note on legal advice

These sessions are for general education about California employment law. I hold a J.D., but I do not practice law through Urban Human Resources, and nothing shared during the hour is legal advice or creates an attorney-client relationship. How a law applies turns on the facts of each situation, so I keep the open questions focused on how a rule works rather than how it applies to one person’s case.

If you are dealing with a specific matter, such as a claim, a termination, a dispute or an agency inquiry, I respectfully encourage you to speak with a licensed California employment attorney who can review your circumstances in full and advise you in confidence. The State Bar of California’s certified lawyer referral services for the Bay Area are a good place to begin.

How to join

The first session is Thursday, January 14, 2027, covering the laws that take effect January 1. The rest of 2027 runs April 8, July 8 and October 14. The join link goes out in The Register the week before each session, so subscribing is the only step. The full schedule, along with the filing dates employers should not miss, lives on the events page.

Get the join link in The Register

McKinley holds a J.D. but is not a licensed attorney. Articles here are general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, talk with an employment attorney.