HR Services
Comprehensive human resources expertise for California businesses — from investigations to compliance.
Seven Practice Areas,
One Trusted Partner
Central Coast HR provides senior-level HR consulting across the full spectrum of California's most challenging employment issues.
Employment Investigations
Impartial, thorough workplace investigations that protect your organization and your employees.
When a complaint arises — whether it involves harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations, or workplace misconduct — how you respond matters enormously. A well-conducted investigation can resolve disputes, support defensible employment decisions, and protect the organization from liability. A poorly handled one can do the opposite.
Erin conducts investigations with the professionalism, objectivity, and legal awareness that sensitive workplace matters demand. Every investigation includes thorough witness interviews, evidence review, comprehensive documentation, and a clear written findings report.
Investigation Types
- Harassment and sexual harassment complaints (Title VII / FEHA)
- Discrimination and wrongful termination allegations
- Retaliation and whistleblower complaints
- Workplace violence and threat assessment
- Employee misconduct, fraud, or policy violations
- HR audit findings requiring investigation
Define scope, identify parties, preserve relevant communications and documents.
Conduct structured, documented interviews with the complainant, respondent, and all relevant witnesses.
Analyze documents, emails, records, and other relevant evidence with objectivity and care.
Deliver a comprehensive, legally defensible report with factual findings and recommended next steps.
Ready to Get Started?
Contact Erin for a confidential discussion about your investigation needs.
Request ConsultationAll inquiries are handled with complete confidentiality.
Pre-Litigation Support
Strategic HR guidance that protects your organization before claims escalate into lawsuits.
The decisions employers make in the early stages of a dispute — before an attorney gets involved — often determine the outcome. Pre-litigation HR support helps employers document defensibly, respond appropriately, and reduce exposure before a matter escalates.
Erin works alongside your employment counsel or as your first point of contact, providing the HR expertise needed to navigate difficult situations with confidence — from responding to DFEH/EEOC charges to preparing documentation for potential litigation.
Services Include
- DFEH and EEOC charge response support
- Documentation review and strengthening
- Employment decision defensibility assessments
- Pre-termination HR process audits
- Demand letter response coordination
- Expert witness and consulting support for counsel
California Compliance
Stay ahead of California's ever-changing, ever-complex employment law landscape.
California employers face some of the most demanding compliance obligations in the country — from mandatory training and required postings to the California Family Rights Act, PAGA, AB5, and more. Falling behind isn't just costly; it can expose your business to significant liability.
Central Coast HR provides compliance audits, gap analyses, and ongoing support to help California employers stay current, stay protected, and stay ahead of regulatory changes before they create problems.
Compliance Areas
- FEHA (Fair Employment and Housing Act)
- California Family Rights Act (CFRA) & FMLA
- AB5 / worker classification compliance
- PAGA exposure assessment and mitigation
- Mandatory harassment prevention training (SB 1343)
- Required workplace postings and notices
- New hire onboarding compliance
- Annual compliance calendar management
Is Your Business Compliant?
Schedule a compliance audit to find out what you might be missing.
Request a Compliance AuditWage & Hour
California wage and hour law is a minefield. Let's make sure you're not walking through it blind.
California's wage and hour requirements are extraordinarily detailed — and the penalties for violations can be severe. PAGA claims, class actions, and labor board complaints all frequently trace back to wage and hour missteps that could have been caught and corrected.
Central Coast HR conducts comprehensive wage and hour audits to identify vulnerabilities, correct classification issues, and ensure your pay practices align with California law before they become a problem.
Audit & Review Areas
- Exempt vs. non-exempt classification review
- Overtime calculation and pay practice audits
- Meal and rest period compliance review
- Piece-rate and commission plan compliance
- Pay statement and final pay accuracy
- Alternative workweek schedule compliance
- Independent contractor classification (AB5 / Dynamex)
Concerned About Wage & Hour Risk?
A proactive audit is far less costly than a class action.
Schedule an AuditPolicy Creation
Custom HR policies that reflect your business, comply with California law, and stand up to scrutiny.
Generic policies pulled from the internet aren't just ineffective — they can create liability. California employers need policies tailored to the state's specific legal requirements and written with enough clarity that employees and managers can actually follow them.
Erin develops custom HR policies from the ground up — or reviews and updates your existing policies — to ensure they're accurate, enforceable, and aligned with your organization's culture and needs.
Common Policies Developed
- Anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies
- Leaves of absence (CFRA, FMLA, PDL, sick leave)
- Progressive discipline and termination procedures
- Remote work and flexible scheduling
- Social media and technology use
- Workplace safety and violence prevention
- Expense reimbursement and business travel
- Confidentiality and non-disclosure
Employee Handbooks
Comprehensive, legally compliant handbooks that set expectations and protect your organization.
An employee handbook is one of the most important documents your business can have — and one of the most frequently challenged. A well-drafted handbook communicates your expectations clearly, sets the tone for your workplace culture, and provides a defensible record if an employment dispute arises.
Central Coast HR develops complete employee handbooks tailored to your industry, workforce size, and California legal requirements — including annual review and update services to keep your handbook current as laws change.
What's Included
- All required California-specific policies
- At-will employment acknowledgment
- Anti-harassment, discrimination, and retaliation policies
- Leaves of absence (all California-required leave types)
- Wage and hour policies
- Technology, social media, and remote work policies
- Employee acknowledgment forms
- Annual update services available
Need a New or Updated Handbook?
We'll build it from the ground up or bring your existing handbook into compliance.
Get a Handbook QuotePerformance Management
Systems that support your people's growth and protect your organization when performance issues arise.
Effective performance management is both a strategic tool and a legal safeguard. When documentation is thorough and processes are consistent, employment decisions are defensible. When they're not, performance-based separations become a significant legal risk.
Central Coast HR designs performance management systems that work in practice — giving managers clear tools to set expectations, provide feedback, document concerns, and support employees — while building the paper trail needed if a separation ever becomes necessary.
Performance Services
- Performance review process design and templates
- Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) development
- Progressive discipline framework design
- Manager training on documentation and feedback
- Termination process review and documentation guidance
- Job description development and updates
Ready to Strengthen Your Performance Process?
Let's build a system that works for your managers and your organization.
Start the ConversationFrequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to questions California employers ask before engaging an HR consultant.
When should a California employer hire an outside HR consultant for an investigation? +
Whenever the complaint involves senior leadership, allegations of harassment or discrimination, potential retaliation, or anything that could plausibly become litigation. An outside investigator provides impartiality, legal defensibility, and a clean record that internal HR — especially in smaller companies — often cannot match.
How long does a workplace investigation typically take? +
Most workplace investigations are completed within 2–4 weeks, depending on scope, number of witnesses, and document volume. Urgent matters can be expedited. Central Coast HR follows a structured process — intake, interviews, evidence review, and a written findings report — that balances thoroughness with timeliness.
What is the difference between an HR consultant and an employment attorney? +
An employment attorney provides legal advice and represents you in legal proceedings. An HR consultant provides strategic HR expertise — investigations, compliance audits, policy development, and pre-litigation documentation. The two roles often work together: HR builds the defensible record and process, the attorney handles the legal strategy.
Do I need a separate California-compliant employee handbook? +
Yes. California has more required policies than any other state — including paid sick leave, kin care, lactation accommodation, pregnancy disability leave, CFRA, mandatory harassment training, and many more. A handbook copied from a national template will be missing required California policies and may contain provisions that are unenforceable under California law.
What is a PAGA exposure assessment and do I need one? +
A PAGA (Private Attorneys General Act) exposure assessment reviews your wage and hour practices — meal/rest periods, overtime, pay statements, classification — to identify violations that could trigger PAGA penalties. Any California employer with hourly workers should consider one, especially before a labor dispute escalates. Penalties can stack quickly under PAGA.
Can Central Coast HR work with my existing employment attorney? +
Absolutely — and it is often the most effective arrangement. Erin regularly partners with employment counsel to handle the HR side of a matter (investigations, documentation, witness interviews, policy review) while counsel handles the legal strategy. This division typically produces stronger outcomes than relying on either alone.