Every employee problem comes down to three questions.
What do I do? By when? With what? The Guide answers all three, for every situation, before a small problem becomes a big one.
3 answersBuilt for California
1What do I do?
2By when?
Within 72 hours Or on their last day, if they gave 72 hours' notice.3With what?
Full steps in Section 10: Employee Offboarding
What do I do?
A short checklist, in the right order.
Step-by-step checklistsBy when?
Every deadline, right where you'll see it.
Yellow means a deadlineWith what?
The right form, ready to fill in and sign.
20 forms, English & SpanishBonus question: "Do I need a lawyer for this?" The Guide flags the risky moments, so you know when to handle it and when to make the call.
Start Your SubscriptionWatch The Guide in action.
A California employment lawyer walks through letting someone go, step by step, and shows you what he looks for when he sues employers.
7 minutes. The tools, the deadlines, and the forms, exactly as subscribers see them.
Every step looks like this.
Learn one, and you know them all. Tap to see each part.
Yellow means a hard deadline. Miss it, and it costs money.
Just the essentials, in order. Check them off as you go.
The one thing owners get wrong most often, right here.
The form you need, inside the step that needs it. In both languages.
Letting someone go on Thursday?
Here's your week with The Guide. Watch the risk drop.
Check for red flags. Gather the records.
Risk: HighFill in the Termination Letter.
Risk: MediumFinal check ready, vacation included.
Risk: LowerShort meeting. Hand it all over.
Risk: LowNo letter. No lawsuit. That's the point.
Your other options.
Here's what most owners do when an employee problem comes up. Same three tests for each.
Googling it
Confidently wrong, at no charge.
Free- Often another state's rules
- No ready-to-sign forms
- No lawyer behind it
Asking a friend
"He did it in Texas. It was fine."
Free, plus lunch- Depends where they learned it
- One form from 2014, maybe
- No lawyer behind it
Asking ChatGPT
Sounds like a lawyer. Isn't one.
Free, or a subscription- Can mix up or miss California rules
- Drafts forms nobody has checked
- No lawyer behind it
A lawyer, every time
Great answers. Great invoices.
Billed by the hour- Written for California
- Forms, for a fee
- They are the lawyer
The Guide
Answers first. A lawyer only when it counts.
$2,490 a year- Written for California law
- 20 forms, English & Spanish
- Backed by a California lawyer
Three questions. Answered. Every time.
All 11 sections and all 20 forms, in English and Spanish. $2,490 a year.
The Guide provides general information about California employment law and is not legal advice. Using The Guide or its forms does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and every situation is different; for advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney. Names and messages shown are fictional examples. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI, which is not affiliated with The Guide. This page may be considered attorney advertising.