Labor regulation in California: LWDA, Cal/OSHA, the Labor Commissioner, and PERB.
Agency decisions shape how policy works in practice. Explore the institutions and policy matters relevant to labor organizations, then discuss the proceedings affecting your business.
Who writes and enforces the rules.
- Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA)Parent agency; rulemaking authority over PAGA implementing regulations.
- Labor Commissioner (DLSE)Wage theft, wage claims, retaliation, and since January 2026 tip and gratuity citations and treble damages on unpaid judgments.
- Cal/OSHA and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards BoardWorkplace safety rulemaking, including heat illness and workplace violence prevention.
- Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)Public-sector labor relations; expanded private-sector authority under AB 288, currently enjoined.
Rulemakings, programs, and enforcement in 2026.
- PAGA rulemakingRulemakingLWDA regulations implementing the 2024 PAGA reforms. Implements AB 2288 and SB 92: penalty reallocation, the cure process for smaller employers, and penalty reductions for good-faith compliance. Comments closed March 23, 2026; hearing April 9, 2026. Under review, no final rule.
- PAGA volumeEnforcementRecord filings. 10,098 PAGA notices were filed in 2025 despite the reforms. Context for the rulemaking.
- Cal/OSHA heat illnessRulemakingAligned indoor and outdoor heat standard. Updated draft aligning the indoor and outdoor standards and removing an exception that let some industries skip high-heat procedures. Comments open through September 21, 2026.
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