California New Hire Onboarding Checklist
Required Notices, Filings & Documents — Every Step for CA Employers
California requires more new hire paperwork than any other state. This checklist covers every required notice, form, and filing — with deadlines.
California Has More New Hire Requirements Than Any Other State
California employers must complete a specific set of required forms, notices, and filings for every new employee — within tight deadlines. Missing a required notice doesn't just create a compliance gap; it can undermine your ability to enforce agreements and creates exposure in employment disputes.
Day-One Required Notices (Must Be Provided at Hire)
- Wage Theft Prevention Act Notice (WTPA) — DE 2515 — includes pay rate, pay day, employer info
- Sexual Harassment — California DFEH pamphlet (DFEH-185)
- Paid Sick Leave notice — required under AB 1522
- Workers' Compensation — DWC-7 pamphlet (must explain WC rights)
- Disability Insurance / Paid Family Leave — DE 2515
- Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) — for employers with 5+ employees
- CFRA/FMLA notice — for employers with 5+ employees
- Cal/OSHA emergency contact and safety information
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Full New Hire Onboarding Checklist
- FEDERAL: Form I-9 — must be completed by employee on Day 1; employer Section 2 by Day 3
- FEDERAL: W-4 — Employee's Federal Withholding Allowance Certificate
- CALIFORNIA: DE 4 — Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (state version)
- CALIFORNIA: DE 34 — New Employee Report — must be filed with EDD within 20 days of hire
- Direct Deposit authorization (or verify employee will receive paper check)
- Emergency contact form
- Signed offer letter / employment agreement (if applicable)
- Arbitration agreement (if applicable — must comply with AB 51 rules)
- Confidentiality and IP assignment agreement (if applicable)
- Drug and alcohol testing consent (if applicable and policy-required)
- Background check consent — must comply with California's ICRAA and FCRA
- Wage Theft Prevention Act Notice (WTPA) — signed acknowledgment retained
- Sexual harassment notice — signed acknowledgment retained
- Workers' Compensation DWC-7 — signed acknowledgment retained
- PDL notice — for employers with 5+ employees — signed acknowledgment
- CFRA/FMLA rights notice — for employers with 5+ employees
- Paid sick leave notice and policy — signed acknowledgment
- Employee handbook — signed acknowledgment page retained
- Access to employee personnel file — inform employee of right to inspect
- California Labor Law posters — confirm displayed at worksite (or sent for remote employees)
Required Labor Law Posters at Every California Worksite
- California Minimum Wage poster (updated annually)
- California Paid Sick Leave poster
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA) poster
- Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) poster
- California WARN Act notice
- Cal/OSHA Safety and Health Protection on the Job poster
- Federal OSHA Job Safety and Health poster
- EEOC poster — Equal Employment Opportunity Is The Law
- USERRA poster (Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights)
- FMLA poster — for employers with 50+ employees
- Transgender Rights in the Workplace (DFEH)
- No Smoking poster (if applicable)
Key Deadlines
| Task | Deadline |
|---|---|
| I-9 Section 1 (employee) | Day 1 of employment |
| I-9 Section 2 (employer) | Day 3 of employment |
| DE 34 New Employee Report | Within 20 days of start date |
| All required CA notices | Day 1 (at or before start of work) |
| E-Verify (if required) | Within 3 business days of hire |
| Workers Comp enrollment | Before first day of work |