The Small Employer HR Field Guide

What is the Small Employer HR Field Guide?

It is a 77 page PDF for California employers who run teams of 1 to about 150 people and do not have an HR department. 13 principles, each with scenarios, checklists, templates and the California rules that apply, written so you can act on the chapter in front of you today.

The book in three lines

• Built for owners, business managers and HR managers who need to get hiring, pay, reviews, complaints and exits right without a full HR team.
• Every chapter explains the principle, shows how to apply it, names the California and federal rules, and gives you a checklist and a template to copy.
• Every chapter ends with a recap and three steps for this week, and the book closes with a 30 day action plan.

What is inside

Thirteen chapters. You do not need to read them in order. Start with the one that matches the problem on your desk.

1. Start Here: What a Small Employer Owes From the First Hire
2. Sort Your People Right: Employee, Contractor, Exempt or Not
3. Pay People Right: Wages, Breaks, Records and Final Pay
4. Hire Fairly: Job Posts, Interviews and Offers
5. Onboard in 90 Days: Paperwork, Welcome and Fit
6. Write a Handbook People Will Read
7. Make Your Managers Your Retention Plan
8. Reviews and Performance Plans That Hold Up
9. Handle Complaints and Investigations Calmly
10. End Employment the Right Way: Terminations, Layoffs and Offboarding
11. Pay Equity and Pay Transparency: Look Before a Claim Does
12. Safety, Leave and Family Needs: The Rules Owners Forget
13. Use AI in HR Without Giving Up Your Judgment

How every chapter works

• In short. A one paragraph summary.
• The principle and why it matters. The idea and the cost of ignoring it.
• How to apply it. Steps in plain order.
• Check the law. California and federal rules, confirmed against official sources.
• Illustrative scenarios. Made up stories that show the idea at work. None describes a real person or business.
• Checklist and template. Copy them into your own documents and adapt them.
• Recap and Do this week. Three steps, each with a time and a finish line.

The 30 day action plan

The last section pulls the thirteen chapters into one month of work, so you finish the book with a plan on your calendar instead of a pile of good intentions. Resources, sources with the date each was checked, and image credits follow it.

Who it is for

California employers, business owners and HR managers who run teams of 1 to about 150 people and do not have a full HR department. If you have a lawyer, use the book to ask better questions. If you do not, use it to avoid the common mistakes.

Format and edition

• PDF, 77 pages, letter size.
• Edition 1.2, website edition.
• By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM.
• The legal points were checked on November 1, 2026 against the official sources named in the book. Anything that could not be confirmed was left out.
• Download link delivered right after payment, and emailed to you. Tax is added at checkout.
• Each purchase includes 3 downloads within 7 days. Every copy is stamped on every page with the buyer’s email and order number, for your own use.

Returns and refunds

Digital products: no refunds once downloaded. A corrupted, incomplete or not-as-described file reported within 14 days of purchase is replaced or refunded in full. Refunds return to your original payment method within ten business days. Download links work for 7 days and up to 3 downloads. Full terms are on the Terms page.

Educational notice: this book is educational. It is not legal, tax, financial, medical or employment advice and it creates no attorney-client relationship. McKinley Malbrough III holds a J.D. but is not a licensed attorney. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed attorney. This book was created with AI assistance and reviewed by the author.