If you’re like our other small business clients, year-end means getting things done to enjoy the holidays and setting yourself up for success in the new year. We’ve compiled the top 12 HR Year End To-Dos to wrap up your year and be ready for a successful new year ahead.
December is a busy month for Inspiring HR’s small business clients. We’re actively helping our clients to wrap up HR loose ends so they start the new year with clarity on how they will engage and retain their workforce and ensure that they comply with state and federal labor laws.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 12 HR To Do’s for you to wrap up before year-end: so you can put a bow on the year and give yourself the present of having your HR house in order by the time the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
Top 12 HR To-Do’s to Wrap Up the Year Well
- Employee Handbooks
If your employee handbook has some dust on it, it’s becoming a depreciating asset. Since the pandemic, your business has changed: you’ve likely hired people out of state, switched to an all-remote or hybrid work environment, and perhaps expanded your business offerings. Your employee handbook should match your current company and social compact with employees.
Resources:
Why the Best Small Business Employee Handbooks Are Never Done
5 Reasons to Update Your Employee Handbook Now
- Labor Law Updates
Are you in compliance with new labor laws? Changes in labor laws often begin on January 1. Make sure you know the laws impacting your employees at the federal level and the states where your employees live. Add it to your HR Year End To-Dos list while you’re thinking about it!
Every month we provide our clients with a summary of new labor laws by state. Curious to see how Inspiring HR can help your company? Drop us a line and schedule a conversation!
- Job Descriptions
Job descriptions help leaders make better hiring decisions, build employee accountability, and minimize risk. Great job descriptions help with:
- Recruiting
- Onboarding
- On-the-Job performance
- Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Resources:
Putting Job Descriptions to Good Use
The 5 Elements of Outstanding Job Descriptions
- Holiday Time Off
Do you know what your time off policy is for upcoming holidays? Trust us: your employees want to know! If you have communicated upcoming holiday time off, great! But also plan for future holidays and communicate with your employees. They’ll appreciate the ability to plan ahead.
Resource:
Don’t Be a Grinch: Let Your Employees Leave Early on Holidays
- Employee File Review
Don’t discount the importance of updating your employee files. The amount and sensitivity of the information you have about your employees are staggering: bank account numbers, background checks, Social Security numbers … and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! We wrote a helpful guide to maintaining your employee files. See the link below and schedule a time to ensure your employee files are up-to-date.
Resource:
Employee Files: What Goes in Them and How to Maintain Them
- Benefits Enrollment
The start of the year is often the beginning of a new benefits period. Have you crossed your T’s and dotted your I’s with your benefits package? If not, take time to finalize so you can begin the new year on the right foot.
- Paid Leave Policy
Paid leave policies are great employee recruitment and retention tools. Discuss with your leadership and HR professionals what you can do to make paid leave a win-win for your employees and your company.
- Additional Employee Benefits
As with paid leave policies, employee benefits are a great recruitment and retention tool. You don’t have to break the bank to provide new benefits to entice great talent to join and stay. Generally, employees value time off more than every other benefit imaginable, except for healthcare. Not every small business can afford a full paid time off program, but even a limited gesture can go a long way toward creating goodwill.
- Cybersecurity Plan
Cybersecurity is a hot topic for small businesses, and unfortunately, we don’t anticipate it not being a headache and challenge for leaders for the foreseeable future. Take time to evaluate your insurance needs and train employees on cybersecurity best practices: employee mistakes are the number one source of cybersecurity attacks.
- New Hire Onboarding
Onboarding new employees effectively is a constant process of refinement. When was the last time you evaluated your onboarding plan? And don’t forget about your offboarding policy: making offboarding seamless and painless when an employee leaves isn’t as hard as you might think.
Resources:
6 Steps to Improve New Hire Onboarding
Employee Offboarding Done Right
- Compensation
Our small business clients have all had to contend with the Great Resignation and other companies luring their employees away with better salaries. Use this time of year to plan your HR year end to-dos and compensation strategies for the year ahead to remain competitive and retain top talent.
Resources:
Using Compensation Market Scans to Combat the Great Resignation
What’s Your Plan to Shape Up Employee Experience?
- Casting Vision
Another year is coming to a close. We hope it was a fantastic year for you and your company. If so, capitalize on your wins with a thoughtful and well-defined vision for the new year ahead. And if this year had its share of challenges, lean into the new year with hope, optimism, and an exciting vision for the incredible changes and success you seek.
Whether you’re reading this in December or in August, we want you to know that HR policies and procedures should drive your business results and not “get in the way” of your goals. Following these 12 HR Year End To-Dos right now will help you finish the year strong and to keep your business healthy all year round!
At Inspiring HR, we uncomplicate HR and empower small businesses. Visit our Resources page for instant access to Labor Law Reference Guides, Remote Work Reference Guides, and more! Ready for friendly and helpful HR consultation? Contact Us today!
This article does not constitute legal advice, and there are subtle variations in employment law as it pertains to this topic, depending on where your business operates. It is strongly suggested that you seek HR consultation or legal counsel before making policy decisions.
