HR To Do List: August

Hello August! With July behind us, hopefully you had some time to catch up on projects you've been meaning to start and/or wrap up. With Summer?Break coming to an end, we're now gearing up for Back To School season. Getting kids back to school can mean productivity in your office can get a boost, as?everyone settles back into their usual routines.?

BIG NEWS!!! Per HR WatchDog, Nine months after the previous?Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification?expired, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published?new, revised versions of the?Form I-9?documents. Employers should start using these new?Form I-9?documents as soon as possible.Employers must use the?Form I-9?to verify their employees’ identity and employment authorization. The new?Form I-9?(edition date 08/01/23) has undergone?some major improvements, including:

• Sections 1 and 2 have been reduced to a single-sided sheet;
• Section 1 Preparer/Translator Certification and Section 3, Reverification and Rehire, have been moved to separate, standalone supplements that employers can provide to employees as necessary (both supplements can be found as part of the?Form I-9) ;
• The Lists of Acceptable Documents were revised to include some acceptable receipts as well as guidance and links to information on automatic extensions of employment authorization documentation;
• The?Form I-9 Instructions?are now eight pages instead of 15; and
• E-Verify employers now have a checkbox to indicate they have examined?Form I-9?documentation remotely under a?DHS-authorized alternative procedure?rather than via physical examination.

Additionally, the revised?Form I-9?is designed to be fillable on tablets and mobile devices. When the previous?Form I-9?documents expired at the end of October 2022, the USCIS told employers to?continue using the expired form?until the new edition was available. Now, employers can start using the new version right away — although, even if employers choose to use the prior version, they can only do so until October 31, 2023, after which the 10/21/19 edition will be obsolete and no longer valid for use. Starting November 1, 2023, employers who fail to use the 08/01/23 edition of?Form I-9?may be subject to all applicable penalties. The version date is on the lower left corner of the form."

Some HR reminders to keep in mind for the month of August:

• If you adjusted your work hours, be?sure to clearly define the end-date for the adjusted hours and/or days of work.?It is also a good idea to review upcoming compliance changes.?
• Several state?minimum wage increases went into effect on July 1. Make sure you check with double check with any Local Ordinances?to be sure?you’re?in compliance.
• Let's take a look at employee benefits!?Now is a good time to review your health insurance benefits to determine if adjustments need to be made.?Open Enrollment is never far away!
• With everyone coming back from summer vacation, it is a great time to audit your PTO balances, especially now that many employees have likely taken time off over the summer.?
• Do you have a Tuition Reimbursement policy??Dust it off and be sure employees are aware of it before?they register for?local classes in their spare time. What a great perk! Make this information standard?knowledge to all?employees, so they can spread the word and?help in your recruiting efforts!?

With the Holiday's right around the corner, use the month of August to prepare for the coming months. Is your business cyclical with the Holidays, and not the summer? August is a good time to?start thinking about your Holiday hiring plan:

• How many people are you hiring?
• How will?you find them? Do you need a recruiter’s assistance? Will you post online and interview?yourself??
• How much will you pay your new employees?
• Are you in a competitive job market? What will?make candidates choose to work?for?you over?your competition?

As the summer is coming to an end, it?may be a good time to send out an Employee Satisfaction Survey or an Employee Engagement Survey. Satisfaction and engagement are both important, and they are two?different things that can be gauged on different scales.?

Dates to Remember:

• Are you a non-profit? National?Non-Profit Day is?August 17th. Celebrate your non-profit status! Need ideas? Check?here?for 5 Ways?to Commemorate?Non Profit Day.
• National Women’s Equality Day is August 26th, to?honor the day in 1920?when the 19th Amendment passed, giving women the right to vote.?
• It’s National?Wellness Month! Treat your employees to a wellness gift card?for?a job well-done.