Effective January 1, 2026, California employers must treat education and training records as part of an employee’s official personnel file. Under Senate Bill 513 (SB 513), the standard 30-day deadline to produce records upon request now extends to these documents.
What Changed: Expanded Definition of Personnel Records
Under existing law (Labor Code Section 1198.5), California employers are already required to allow current and former employees to inspect and receive copies of personnel records related to their performance or any grievances.
SB 513 amends this section to specify that education and training records maintained by the employer are now considered part of the official personnel file.
If employers maintain these records, the law requires them to contain specific data points. A compliant training record must now include:
- The employee’s name.
- The name of the training provider.
- The duration and date of the training.
- The core competencies addressed (e.g., skills in specific equipment or software).
- Any resulting certification or qualification.
Next Steps for Employers
Employers should audit their recordkeeping to ensure training logs capture these specific details and update their personnel file response protocols to include these documents by the 2026 deadline. Non-compliance can result in a $750 penalty per violation.
