UPDATE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS NOW

UPDATE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS NOW

Updating your employee handbook isn’t just about compliance — it’s about connection. With major workplace law changes coming in 2026, now’s the time to refresh your policies. Employers can get ahead of upcoming changes and make their handbooks more engaging. And, California’s wage and hour laws continue to evolve quickly. Employers should review classifications, pay practices, and notices now to ensure compliance. We are here to help you plan and grow and protect your business.

Employers should focus on the following key areas when updating their employee handbook for 2026:

  • •Refresh the Welcome and Onboarding Section: Confirm that onboarding details, remote or hybrid policies, and workplace logistics are accurate and easy to follow.

  • •Update Your Company Story and Values: Reflect any growth or changes in direction and ensure the culture statement supports teamwork, flexibility, and inclusion.

  • •Simplify Policies and Procedures: Use simple language that reflects how your team actually works to reduce confusion and risk.

  • •Review Legal and Compliance Language: Double-check for current federal, state, and local requirements, including a reminder that policies may change as regulations evolve.

  • •Confirm PTO and Leave Policies: Ensure vacation, sick leave, and holiday policies match current law and company practice.

  • •Update Benefits Information: Summarize the latest benefit offerings, including health insurance, retirement plans, and any financial wellness tools.

  • •Clarify Pay and Performance: Revisit how employees are paid and reviewed.

  • •Employers should also consider the impact of recent legal developments on handbook language and structure, emerging trends, and predictions shaping handbook policies in 2026 and beyond.

Please feel free to contact Dawn at: dawn@eppscoulson.com.

Information contained in this Memo is intended for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.  It is likely considered advertising.  Epps & Coulson, LLP encourages you to call to discuss these matters as they apply to you or your business.  Epps & Coulson, LLP attorneys and affiliated counsel admitted to practice in California, Texas, Colorado, Oregon, New York, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Hawaii, European Union, England and Wales, France (Paris Bar), Sweden, and the US Patent & Trademark Office.

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