Existing law (Labor Code section 226) requires employers to allow current and former employees to inspect or make copies of certain payroll-related records, upon reasonable request. Employers were even allowed to charge employees for the cost of making such copies, but some employers were still requiring employees to find a way to make their own copies.
However, Senate Bill 1252, which went into effect January 1, 2019, amends Labor Code section 226 language to clarify that an employee has “the right to inspect or receive a copy of these records.” In other words, employers are now required to make the copies themselves and provide them to employees.
Such requests must be fulfilled within 21 days. If an employer fails to permit an employee to inspect or receive a copy of the requested records within this timeframe, the requesting employee is entitled to receive a $750 penalty from the employer.