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NEW ×194 State Health Insurance Mandates 2026

California: Job Exit Rules & Benefits Checklist

Five rules decide what you are owed when you leave a job in California: when the final check is due, whether accrued vacation is cashed out, how long you can keep health coverage, what severance does to your unemployment weeks, and whether advance layoff notice is required.

Final Paycheck Timing

Pay is due at separation: on your last day for a quit with notice, and on the day of a discharge (the state note below gives the exact window).

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PTO & Vacation Payout

State law requires paying accrued, unused vacation on the final check.

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COBRA & State Continuation

Federal COBRA gives 60 days to elect from the date coverage ends or from the notice. Employers under 20 people often fall under state continuation law, and some states extend coverage past 18 months.

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Unemployment & Severance Offset

Severance is not counted as wages for unemployment. Your weeks are not suspended, and the job-search duty continues.

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Mini-WARN Notice Rules

A state advance-notice statute requires notice of a mass layoff or plant closing: 60 days in most mini-WARN states, 90 days in New York, with per-day damages for a shortfall.

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Run the numbers before you write

Sourced guides for California exits

Rule pages here summarize windows and categories. The guides carry the citations, the dates, and the filing detail. Confirm with the state agency before you file.

Every row on this page is a rule category, not a citation. Checked against official pages in this build: CA, NY, NJ, WA, FL, NC, ME, MN, VA, TN, IN, WV, AK, AL, DE, HI, ID. Graded from reported sources and needing a fresh agency check: CO, IL, MA, TX, OH, GA, MI, DC, CT, NV, AZ, WI, OR, PA, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NM, ND, OK, SC, SD, UT, VT, WY, AR. Confirm with the agency named above before you file.

Compare with the other states

Interstate moves change two things at once: the state you file unemployment in and the state that enforces your final check. The severance offset rule you get depends on where you file, not where you worked.