CALIFORNIA: Notice for new hires effective January 1, 2012

Just a reminder: As of January 1, 2012, California employers must notify new hires of a laundry list of information about their job and the company. For current employees, if any of these items change (for example, due to a promotion), you must give written notice. The Labor Commissioner had planned to have a template available by mid-December, but it still isn’t posted. A representative from the Commissioner’s office has stated that they hope to post it by the end of the year. We recommend you check the agency’s website for the template before making any new hires in 2012, or implementing any changes that would require the notice. The notice must include employees’ rates of pay (including their overtime rates), any allowances claimed against the minimum wage (generally meals or lodging), your regular payday, the name of the employer (including any “doing business as” names), the physical and mailing addresses of the main office, your phone number, the name and contact information for your workers’ comp carrier, and any other information the Labor Commissioner may require (AB 469, also called the Wage Theft Prevention Act of 2011).