California payroll compliance, documented every pay period.
One PAGA notice can turn into a costly distraction for your business. We help California employers reduce their risk by getting two of the biggest trouble spots right: overtime and meal premium payments, and a compliant employee handbook.
California payroll calculator
Upload your roster, hours, commissions and meal records each pay period. We calculate the weekly regular rate, true up overtime on commissions and spiffs, and price every meal premium — then hand you a file ready for your payroll provider.
How the calculator worksMeal violation notices
Every missed meal break becomes a notice the employee signs and a retraining note the manager confirms by name. Signatures and dates are stored by pay period, so the paperwork exists before anyone asks for it.
See the recordsEmployee handbook management
Upload your handbook and get it checked against California requirements. Recommended edits come back as a Word document with tracked changes you can review with your attorney, then collect a signed receipt from every employee.
See the handbook reviewHow it works
Start with the handbook
Upload what you have — or we write a California-compliant starter with your company name on it. You get a summary, a severity-ranked list of issues, and a tracked-changes Word document.
Sign off, then distribute
Confirm attorney review (strongly recommended) or accept responsibility in writing, then email each employee a private link to read and sign for the handbook. Paper signatures can be recorded by hand.
Run each pay period
The calculator walks through roster, hours, earnings and meals, shows the math per employee, and exports the pay entries. Premiums, notices and retraining are tracked to completion.
Why the math matters
In California, overtime is paid on the regular rate — which includes commissions and non-discretionary spiffs — and a missed meal period costs one hour at that same rate. Most payroll systems will happily pay overtime on the base rate alone, which quietly underpays every technician who earns commission. Penalties are assessed per employee, per pay period, so a single recurring error compounds fast.
Why documentation matters
California's 2024 PAGA reforms reward employers who take reasonable steps to comply. Signed handbook receipts, signed meal-period notices, and manager retraining records are exactly the kind of evidence that shows those steps were taken. ComplianceShield produces that paper trail as a by-product of running payroll — not as a scramble after a notice arrives.
See everything in the productFind out what your last few pay periods actually say.
Send us your recent payroll and timekeeping records and we will show you where overtime rates and meal premiums came up short, by category. Confidential. No obligation.
Request your free audit