Planning for Year End

The cool nights of fall signal the change of seasons here in the Midwest, and are also the signal that the end of the year is quickly approaching. This is a hyper-organization season where HR professionals map out the activities of year-end and lay the groundwork for the new year.

With all that is juggled on a daily basis, getting ahead of things can help provide that sense of organization we all seek. Here are some items you may want to consider as year-end approaches.

• 
  Holiday celebration plans. Shore up and confirm all details and prepare communication. Don’t forget to include upcoming DE&I celebrations:
  • November: Native American/Alaskan Native Heritage Month and Giving Tuesday (typically the Tuesday after Thanksgiving)
  • December: National Impaired Driving Prevention Month (youth.gov) and World AIDS Day (December 1)
• Paystub and personal data accuracy. Ask your employees to review their records for accuracy. Be sure to run an analysis of your employees’ states of residence and work locations. Make updates where needed, confer with payroll tax or legal departments regarding establishing accounts needed in new states or discontinuing operations where no longer needed after year-end.
• Inclement or severe weather policy. Review your current policy or develop a new policy with the participation of your management team. When it comes to pay for nonexempt employees check state and federal Fair Labor Standards Act rules regarding on-call, call-in, or emergency shut-down pay. MRA offers a sample Emergency Closing or Inclement Weather Policy that can be used or referenced.
• Holiday observances and policy for 2022. Confirm dates for next year’s company holidays and put together your 2022 holiday observance calendar now, including options for those who will be working remotely. Include company guidelines for observing designated holidays, or alternatives for those choosing not to participate. Share on bulletin boards, in prominent posting places, and in an email announcement at the beginning of December. To provide a more inclusive calendar, refer to any of the following resources:
  • Interfaith Calendar
  • Diversity Resources Interfaith Calendar
  • Holidays 2022
  • Diversity Calendar 2022
  • National PTA 2021-2022 Multicultural Calendar
• Annual handbook review. Begin the process and if you don’t already have an annual review cycle set for your handbook, now is the time to get that on your calendar for the beginning of next year.
• Poster compliance. Confirm your posters are up to date and you are displaying the required postings needed for your organization. First Step Advisor can aid in determining the posters needed for federal compliance and MRA also provides a Federal Postings Requirements for Employers guide as well as a State Posting Requirements for Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa Employers resource.
• Review and reconciliation of your 2021 IRS forms and data. Include W2, 1099, and 1095 information, but particularly 1095 information where you are manually reconciling and preparing information. Be sure to identify a resource for the electronic filing of your 1095 data if it will not be prepared by your payroll or benefit vendors.
• Preparation for your year-end or first-quarter performance evaluations. Run reporting and develop any tracking mechanisms and finalize email reminders. Make note of any new supervisors or managers who may need a quick review or tutorial regarding your performance tools and process.
• Prepare for your year-end or first-quarter merit pay cycles or year-end bonus programs.

MRA can provide additional resources to help in your planning for year-end compliance or preparation.

Contact one of our Human Resources Business Partners to help, or contact the 24/7 HR Hotline at 866.474.6854 (866-HR-Hotline) or [email protected] for additional planning resources.