California is leading the way with new compliance requirements (as usual) in 2026. Here are the ones I think are most important to farmers in California. If you're from another state I'd pay attention anyway because other states often follow California's lead.
Minimum Wage & Salary Thresholds
California’s statewide minimum wage will increase to $16.90 per hour. In addition, the minimum salary threshold for exempt employees will rise to $70,304 per year, requiring employers to re-evaluate exempt classifications and payroll practices.
Expanded Paid Sick Leave Uses (AB 406)
Paid Sick Leave (PSL) may now be used for judicial proceedings, including jury duty and witness leave. Employers should update their policies and ensure supervisors understand these expanded, protected uses of PSL.
New Employee Notices & Emergency Contact Requirements (SB 294)
Employers must distribute a new annual notice to all current employees and new hires. This notice includes information about workers’ compensation rights and immigration-related protections when interacting with law enforcement.
- The California Department of Labor will release a template notice, which employers must begin using by February 1. This notice is available in the Harvust document library for all of our customers.
- Employers must retain proof of distribution for three years, including the date each notice was provided.
- By March 30, employers must also give all employees—new and existing—the opportunity to designate an emergency contact. We have an emergency contact form template in Harvust you can customize and use right now!
Stronger Wage & Hour Judgment Enforcement (SB 261)
Employers that fail to pay a final unpaid wage judgment may face significantly increased penalties. In addition to triple damages for late payment, courts will now award attorneys’ fees and enforcement costs to prevailing employees, increasing the financial risk of noncompliance.
Expanded Personnel File Requirements (SB 513)
Personnel files must now include records of any education or training provided to the employee. Employers should ensure training completion records are accurate, organized, and easily retrievable in case of inspection or employee request. As a training platform Harvust creates this documentation automatically, and it's really easy to download from the app. So Harvust customers should have no problems complying with this.
