Employment Practices

Short-term employees are considered employees by the State of California and require additional documentation. This toolkit covers hiring, paying and terminating temporary employees.

Identifies California laws and clarifies office policies and benefits related to holiday pay throughout the year.

Use this letter (or Notice to Employee Change in Relationship resource) to record and document the employer initiated termination of an employee.

Best practices for developing a job description outlining required qualifications, expectations and job duties for every employee. Includes sample descriptions for key positions in the dental practice.

Use this job offer letter to provide the details of rate of pay, job title, classification, and start date and time when offering employment to a potential salaried employee.

Use this letter to document an hourly employees terms of the employment relationship in advance of the employees start date. A written job offer must be provided prior to conducting a background check.

Use this letter to provide the employee a written offer in advance outlining the terms and timeline of the employment relationship.

Both CA and federal law require you to reasonably accommodate employees who want to express breast milk at work. 

This resource list provides information about varied state and federal leaves of absence laws that may pertain to a covered employer. Leaves of absence laws cover a variety of specifically defined reasons. Covered employer, employee eligibility, job and benefits-protections and any pay requirements (if any) can vary by leave.

In some instances, several leaves of absence can apply to one employee for the same reason.

Any corresponding required notices can be found in the CDA Required Poster Set or in Required Postings in a Dental Office.

Assists with drafting specific break policies for your practice that are compliant with California laws. 

If you want to reduce your risk of labor litigation, it’s important you understand California’s meal and rest break requirements.

Individual cities and counties across California have passed local ordinances relating to minimum wage and sick leave laws — with eligibility rules varying from city to city. Check with local city government as to whether any local minimum wage ordinances may apply to employees in your practice. Periodically check local websites as rates in these cities could change at any time.

This guidance outlines what you need to know when bringing non-traditional workers, temporary employees, minors and observers into the practice, including wage and hour obligations, supervision requirements, patient confidentiality, workplace safety, insurance considerations, and best practices for reducing risk.

Checklist to help prepare for planning an optimal new employee orientation and onboarding process, including lists of forms, acknowledgements and brochures required in CA.

CDA recommends the use of a job offer letter in conjunction with a verbal offer of employment.

Establishing a team of strong performers plan takes a lot of effort and communication and gives employees a chance to learn and grow. If an employee has recurring performance issues, work with them on a performance improvement plan (PIP). Using a PIP instead of terminating an employee can lead to better practice harmony and employee morale.

This information is provided to help you understand classification exemptions and salary requirements as defined in California wage and hour laws to enhance your knowledge for successful compliance in your practice.

Template for keeping employees informed of any policy changes and obtaining signed acknowledgements that employees read and understand new policies. 

A form to document employee’s voluntary declaration of pregnancy and that employee has been informed of facts on occupational radiation exposure and other information.

This quick-reference chart will help you understand the key points of nine new laws and one privacy protection law in California and the required actions for employers. Use it along with linked CDA resources to start your path to compliance.

Use this table to determine how long to keep business records such as payroll and employee records, patient records, EOB's and more.

Checklist of recommended steps when recruiting and hiring new employees.

Use this form to document an employee's request for accommodation from a mandatory vaccine for a sincerely held religious belief.

Use this form when an employee reports symptoms, exposure, or a positive test for COVID-19 to help track the incident. This continues to be required until Feb. 3, 2026.

Lists posters required at dental offices and required pamphlets. Poster sets are distributed to practice owners biennially. This resource is part of the Regulatory Compliance Manual. Updated May 2026.

The key to retaining and engaging your employees is to build stronger personal and professional relationships. Having regularly scheduled one-on-one time with each of your employees gives leaders the ability to connect and to quickly address any issues that may arise.