California HR law changes

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Federal changes (apply in every state)

Effective	Where	Topic	Change	Who it covers	Source
2026-01-01	Federal (US)	Payroll & tax	2026 Form W-4 adds deductions for qualified tips and overtime (Step 4(b)) Employers must use an employee's updated W-4 if one is submitted.	All employers that withhold federal income tax	Source 1 Source 2
2026-01-01	Federal (US)	Payroll & tax	Qualified overtime must be reported on 2026 Forms W-2 (box 12, code TT) Applies to tax year 2026 W-2s; 2025 had transition relief.	Employers paying FLSA-required overtime	Source 1 Source 2
2026-02-27	Federal (US)	Joint employer	NLRB restores 2020 joint-employer standard after vacated 2023 rule Replaces vacated 2023 rule text with the 2020 rule at 29 CFR 103.40.	Employers covered by the NLRA	Source 1 Source 2
2026-05-15	Federal (US)	Overtime	DOL restores pre-2024 overtime exemption salary rules (technical amendment) Implements court judgments vacating the 2024 overtime rule; reinstates the 2019 regulatory text.	Employers covered by the FLSA	Source
2026-08-01	Federal (US)	I-9 & E-Verify	Only the Form I-9 version expiring 05/31/2027 may be used Older 08/01/23 edition expiring 07/31/2026 no longer valid; electronic systems had to update by 07/31/2026.	All employers	Source 1 Source 2

Effective	Where	Topic	Change	Who it covers	Source
2026-01-01	California	Minimum wage	California minimum wage rises to $16.90 Statewide minimum wage CPI adjustment.	All employers	Source
2026-02-01	California	Notices	California SB 294 Workplace Know Your Rights notice Stand-alone notice to employees by Feb 1 2026, then annually and at hire.	All employers	Source
2026-07-01	San Francisco, CA	Minimum wage	San Francisco minimum wage rises to $19.61 Annual CPI adjustment.	All employers	Source
2026-07-01	Los Angeles, CA	Minimum wage	Los Angeles minimum wage rises to $18.42 Annual CPI adjustment.	All employers	Source
2027-01-01	California	Minimum wage	California minimum wage rises to $17.40 Announced annual adjustment.	All employers	Source