October HR To Do List

Thursday, September 28, 2017
It’s officially fall! Everyone is enjoying their pumpkin-spice-everythings, the leaves are turning, and there’s a bite in the air. It’s a great time for HR folks to start thinking about and preparing for year-end, as well. We’ve put together our monthly list for October below; keep in mind though, this is not an exhaustive list! What else do you get done in October? Let us know in the comments section below!

  • Obamacare Open Enrollment starts November 1, 2017, and runs through December 15, 2017. Though employees on Obamacare plans are individually covered, they may still ask questions of you, so know where to go to point them in the right direction. The www.healthcare.gov website is a good place to start.
  • Prepare managers for year-end reviews; remind them to start thinking about the reviews now so they don’t fall into the trap of only reviewing an employee’s performance during the last month of the review period.
  • October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Will your company acknowledge these campaigns? Perhaps you could organize a group of volunteers to give some of their time to one of these causes? Organize a team to do a local breast cancer 3-Day walk? Make employees aware of your EAP and/or other resources in case they need help getting out of a violent situation or need a shoulder to cry on?
  • Medicare Part D Disclosures are due October 15. Employers must provide Medicare-eligible employees and their dependents this notice, which details whether or not their prescription drug coverage is “creditable” or “non-creditable.” The best practice is to distribute this notice to all employees. You can find more information on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website.
  • Many Bay Area employers have an office or employees in New York City. If you’re one of them, take note that as of October 31, employers in NYC are prohibited from inquiring about or relying upon an applicant’s salary history to make employment decisions, meaning you may no longer ask an applicant about their salary history at any time during the application process. You may discuss the salary you expect to pay for the position, and discuss salaries in more detail if the candidate voluntarily supplies the information during the application process; but as an employer, you may not ask them to provide their salary history.
  • Budgets for 2018 should be close to final if not complete by this time.
  • Are your holiday scheduled set? Be sure to post any paid company holidays for November, December, and January if you haven’t already. Employees need time to plan ahead!
  • Last but not least…the fun! Make any final plans for your company’s Halloween party; but watch out when providing alcohol to your employees. Perhaps a costume contest in the afternoon? Invite the whole family and host a Trick-or-Treating event for the kids? Halloween can be a great bonding event for your team!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!