Your Annual Legal Self-Assessment: Check In Before 2024

With 2024 just around the corner, we wanted to share some key legal resolutions you should consider to start the new year with increased compliance and clarity, and reduced risk.  

Update Your Employee Handbook 

California has new laws going into effect in 2024 that should be reflected in your employee handbooks, including updated paid sick leave requirements and a reproductive loss leave entitlement. 

You should also review your employee handbook to confirm it reflects your current processes and procedures, paying particular attention to: 

• Unlawful harassment training and complaint processes.  
• Remote work or other flexible work arrangements, especially if these have changed since the pandemic.  
• Social media policies.  
• BYOD cybersecurity requirements or employer-provided technology usage policies. 

Review Your Employee Advancement Programs 

California’s pay transparency law went into effect this past year. As a result, more applicants and employees are better informed (or at least curious) about their market rate – and companies paying below market or that have wage disparity will likely experience higher employee turnover.  

If you think your company may have pay disparities, we recommend addressing that in the coming year and implementing or updating your employee advancement programs.  

Your policy should provide details of the criteria decisionmakers use in determining which employees advance in their careers. Common criteria include experience, transferable skills, accomplishments and milestones, and leadership potential. 

Companies must be careful to ensure that the criteria for advancement do not create unnecessary obstacles or barriers for any protected categories of workers. 

Read more about employee advancement programs here. 

Get Ready to Report Under the Corporate Transparency Act 

Most corporations and LLCs will need to report information about the company structure and the beneficial owners in 2024. We suggest you prepare for this reporting now.  

You can find more information here. 

Check Your Contracts  

We strongly recommend reviewing your contracts at least annually to check that they still reflect your business needs.  

To complete yours, you should review each contract and consider whether:  

• Your vendors and customers are meeting their contractual obligations and, if not, whether you included termination clauses and if you’d like to terminate the contract. 
• The existing contracts reflect your current appetite for risk.  
• Terms contained in your contracts reflect your current operations and your strategic plan.  

If you haven’t already, you should also make sure to track any key dates in your contracts to improve your contract management in 2024. Read more about that here. 

Review Your Privacy Statements & Data Management Practices 

Privacy compliance requirements and consumer expectations are developing rapidly. But transparency and data minimization seem to be mainstays of these developments.  

To remain compliant through 2024, we strongly suggest that you review (at a minimum) your public-facing privacy statements and internal data management practices to ensure that: 

1. They are legally compliant, and they reflect your current practices; and  
2. You are not over-collecting data or holding on to data you no longer or never needed.  

If you need assistance with your annual review, reach out. Our team would love to help.  

• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Insights
• Employment Law
• Privacy