The California new-hire checklist for small employers (2026)

Hiring your first few employees in California means a fixed set of paperwork. Miss one item and it rarely bites immediately, but it shows up the moment there is a dispute or an audit. Here is the sequence we use.

Before day one: a signed offer letter stating pay rate, pay schedule and at-will status; the Wage Theft Prevention Act notice (Labor Code 2810.5) for non-exempt employees; and a completed W-4 and DE 4.

On day one: Form I-9 (Section 1 by the employee on day one, Section 2 by you within three business days); the EDD new-hire report (DE 34) within 20 days; the sexual harassment prevention pamphlet; the workers' compensation notice; and the paid sick leave notice.

Within the first month: harassment prevention training if you have five or more employees (two hours for supervisors, one hour for others, within six months of hire and every two years after); and your written workplace violence prevention plan under SB 553, which nearly all California employers must maintain.

Keep the whole packet in one personnel file per employee, separate from medical and I-9 records. If you would like our bilingual checklist as a PDF, ask us on the contact page.

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