Where the 15% PAGA cap meets BusyBusy and Gusto.
MicroForensics, built for the construction operators most exposed to the California termination-wave litigation cycle. Runs on top of the BusyBusy or ExakTime data you already produce. No new software for the foremen. Reviewed by named California labor counsel.
Book a discovery call→For the full MicroForensics walkthrough — statute math, cap delta, four-pillar architecture — see the parent page. This page covers the construction-specific shape.
Three structural reasons construction PAGA exposure rises in 2026–2027.
Cyclical layoffs at the project end.
Every wrapped project is a separation event. §201 / §202 / §203 waiting-time penalties attach at termination. A clean payroll process gets you most of the way; the missing piece is the per-period record the post-layoff plaintiff’s firm will request.
Field-worker meal-break exposure.
Construction crews take breaks on-site, often during the fifth-hour window Donohue v. AMN Servicesmade the presumption-trigger. Time records alone can’t rebut the presumption; the per-pay-period attestation can.
Outdoor heat and the §3395 overlay.
Cal/OSHA §3395 requires written heat-illness prevention plans, training documentation, and water/shade/cool-down protocols. Each is a PAGA predicate when the documentation isn’t there. MicroForensics captures the daily heat-related attestation alongside meal-break compliance.
The construction stack we orchestrate.
Timekeeping
BusyBusy, ExakTime, Time Rack, or another field-time platform you already pay for. We integrate as a read-only consumer. Your foremen and crews see no change in the tool they actually touch.
Payroll
Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, Paylocity, or ADP. MicroForensics reconciles your wage statements (§226) against the per-period attestation; we don’t replace the payroll run.
Compliance overlays
§3395 outdoor heat, SB 553 workplace violence, the meal-break and rest-break attestation flow, and per-cycle wage-statement acknowledgment. Bilingual (EN/ES) for crews where applicable.
What we don’t add
No HRIS. No replacement timekeeping. No mandatory app for your crews. AB 2188 cannabis protections don’t apply to construction trades — we drop that module from the construction SKU rather than charge you for it.
What construction operators ask first.
- 01
Will our foremen have to learn new software?
No. The attestation flow runs through SMS or a single short link the foreman shares with the crew at end of day. The foreman keeps his existing workflow — the notebook, the truck, the conversation. MicroForensics captures the record alongside it, not in place of it.
- 02
We’re already on BusyBusy (or ExakTime). What does MicroForensics actually add?
BusyBusy and ExakTime produce time data — clock-ins, clock-outs, GPS, geofencing. They do not produce the per-pay-period employee attestation that §2699 and Donohue v. AMN Services require to defeat the meal-break presumption. MicroForensics sits on top of BusyBusy or ExakTime, ingests the time data, and routes the attestation that turns it into evidence.
- 03
What about crews that cross into Nevada or Arizona?
MicroForensics is California-specific at launch. For multi-state crews, the California attestation runs on California-side shifts; we add a thin Nevada / Arizona overlay as an integration add-on when the crew composition warrants it. Most construction operators in the under-500-employee band don’t need the overlay; we’ll tell you in the diagnostic whether yours does.
- 04
We don’t have an HR department. Does this work without one?
Yes. The system is the HR function for §2699 purposes — structured policies, distributed acknowledgments, periodic audits, corrective-action records. The office manager or operations lead becomes the audit-trail owner, not an HR generalist. Most of our construction engagements have no dedicated HR; the system is built for that.
Free 30-minute discovery call.
A fit conversation, not a sales call. Tell us about your BusyBusy or ExakTime setup, your crew structure, what’s prompting the conversation. We’ll tell you whether the diagnostic makes sense for you, and what to expect if you proceed.
Book a discovery call→MicroForensics is reviewed by named California labor and employment counsel. Counsel does not represent your company; you should retain your own counsel for advice specific to your situation.