Right to a Final CopyCalifornia

California workplace rights · free public-interest toolkit

You signed it.
You should keep it.

If you just lost your job in California, start here before you sign anything. This free, independent guide shows you the timelines the law gives you, the clauses that deserve a second look, and the common moves in separation paperwork.

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Free resources. No account. No email required to read everything.

Fictional agreement · Totally Normal Corp.Employment ended. Copy still yours.

3. Separation Payment. The Company will pay you $30,000, provided you sign Form B within 7 days after your Last Day.

4. Review. You have 3010 days to consider this Agreement.

5. Your Statements. You confirm that you have not raised any concern with any agency.

The cover email says nothing changed between drafts. Toggle to see what actually moved: the payment now depends on a second document, the review clock shrank from 30 days to 10, and a new sentence asks you to confirm you never raised a concern. Spotting changes like this is the whole point of the third proposed rule.

Where are you right now?

Three paths, one honest next step. Pick the one that fits.

I am about to signSee the general timelines the law gives you and what people commonly check before they sign. About three minutes.I already signedGet a complete copy of what you signed, verify your final pay, and learn which rights a signature cannot take.I lost access to my agreementThe document sits behind a login you no longer have. See how people commonly ask for a copy in writing, and what Labor Code 432 says.

Start here

Your first-week kit, on one printable page

Four dates to write down, what to do today, what to do this week, and the five things to check before you sign anything. Open it, print it, and keep it next to whatever they hand you.

Open the free kitOr join the email course list
  1. Write down four dates
  2. Today: save your own records before access ends
  3. This week: file for unemployment and request your records
  4. Before signing: count your review period and compare versions
  5. Where to get real answers

Email course, opening soon

Decrypting the Code: a free 5-day email course

Five short emails, one a day, on the common moves in separation paperwork: how review periods usually work, what people save before access ends, what common clauses usually mean, and how people ask questions in writing. Leave your email and we will send the first lesson when the course opens.

One email when the course opens, then five lessons · unsubscribe anytime · we never sell your address · general information, not legal advice.

Why this exists

Every tax season I see what happens after people lose a job. Many of them cannot find or open the separation agreement they signed. It sits behind a login they no longer have. The law that was supposed to give them a copy has not changed since 1969.

Burak Genc, EA
Enrolled agent, Culver City.

Why this campaign exists, and its sources

A public-interest project

The hardest part should never be keeping the paperwork

This is an independent public-interest project, not a law firm and not a lobby. It was started by an enrolled agent who sees the financial fallout of job loss in clients' tax files every spring. The playbook, the games, and the proposed rules all come from that one observation.

General information about California law, not legal advice · FAQ and sources.

Play

Practice before the meeting, not after

Most people see their first separation agreement on the worst day of the year. These short, free games let you practice the common moves on a fictional company, with nothing at stake.

3 minutesWhat did they hand you?Five quick questions that map the general timelines for common types of agreements.30 secondsWould you sign this?Seven clauses from a fictional agreement. Decide which look fine and which are worth asking about.WeeklySpot the changeRead version 1 and version 2 of a fictional clause, find what changed, then reveal it.10 minutesScenario cardsEvery move in the playbook as a card you can open: what it looks like, and the counter-move people use.

Every example uses the fictional company Totally Normal Corp. and the worker Jordan. General information, not legal advice.

The proposal

Three rules for separation agreements

1

Copy by default

Current law

Labor Code 432 gives you a copy only if you ask. It sets no deadline.

Proposed change

Within five business days after everyone signs, the employer sends the complete signed agreement. No request needed.

2

A copy you can open

Current law

No rule on format. A signed agreement can sit behind a login you lose on your last day.

Proposed change

In a format you can open, save and print without logging into the employer’s systems. On paper if you ask.

3

Changes marked

Current law

No rule requiring an employer to mark what changed between versions.

Proposed change

If the employer changes the agreement after first giving it to you, it identifies every change in writing before you sign.

California's copy rule in Labor Code 432 was last amended in 1969. The 2027 session convenes December 7, 2026, and the deadline to introduce a bill is February 19, 2027.Read the model language and the path to 2027.

Take action

One short message moves a narrow bill like this

If this free kit helped you, one two-minute note to your own assemblymember or senator helps pass the rule so the next person never loses their document. Bills this small live or die on notes from people who live in the district.

Send a short messageAdd your name

Copies prepared are counted as "messages prepared," not sent. Nothing is sent without you.

Remember

The paperwork is not the verdict

A layoff is something that happened to your employment contract. It is not something that happened to your worth. A first draft is often a starting point, people commonly ask for more time or for changes in writing, and the knowledge on this site is yours to keep. Walk into the next conversation informed, polite, and fully prepared to read every line.

If this week feels heavy, you can call or text 988 any time, or dial 211 for help with food, rent and bills.

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