It's Already That Time Of Year?

Along with pumpkins, costumes, and a chill in the air, the autumn season means it's time to think about updating those handbooks and personnel policies! 2024 brought many new laws that warrant handbook updates, particularly in typically employment legislation-heavy states like California.

While a detailed review and update to handbooks should be done annually, it is especially important to focus on updates in the law as to the following categories:

• Leaves of absence
• Paid time off
• Protected employment categories
• Wage and hour
• Benefits
• Workplace Accommodations

We note in particular that there are a number of state laws requiring written acknowledgement of certain policies by employees (for example, harassment complaint and investigation procedures). When reviewing a handbook, it is therefore important to ensure that the document includes such legally required notices where applicable.