Your 2019 HR Calendar

It’s the start of the new year and chances are you’re busy locking down your plans and major milestones for 2019. And if you haven’t started yet, it isn’t too late. In fact, we’ve made it easier for you by creating a 2019 HR Calendar!

What is it? It’s a month-by-month round up of key holidays, HR dates, and compliance deadlines to make sure your business is ready for the new year. You’ll want to bookmark this one!

Kick-off a successful year by wrapping up 2018 and planning for what’s ahead. From year-end tax forms to key filing deadlines, it’s important to focus on submitting the necessary forms on time—the sooner, the better! Pro-tip: Check out our year-end checklist to make sure you have all the right items checked.

• Tuesday, January 1: New Year’s Day — So what if the day has passed. It’s not too late to set your personal (and/or professional) goals for the year.
• Wednesday, January 16: Bills & Laws, oh my!  — Hawaii’s 2019 legislative session begins (and continues through May).Top priorities will include raising the minimum wage and establishing a living wage, increasing funding for public education, and legalizing recreational cannabis.
• Monday, January 21: Martin Luther King Jr. Day — You can expect most banks, post offices, and government offices to be closed on this federal holiday. Be sure you take care of business the week prior!
• Thursday, January 31: Breakfast Series: HR Outsourcing 101 — Want to learn how your business can succeed in 2019? Join us for a free breakfast seminar as we discuss the benefits of HR outsourcing.
• By Thursday, January 31: Compliance, compliance, compliance! —  Make sure to provide Form W-2 and 1095-C to employees and Form 1099-Misc to Independent Contractors by this deadline. Don’t forget to also file Forms W-2, W-3, 1099, 1096 and Form 941 to the appropriate agencies. Or to deposit the Federal Unemployment Tax Rate (FUTA) if owed.

With love in the air and health on our minds during American Heart Month, February can be a great month to focus on workplace safety with your employees. From compliance to health and wellness, hosting training for your employees can keep everyone up-to-date on any changes or new policies. If you’re a ProSerivce Hawaii client, check out our Events Calendar to see which free training you can sign-up for!

• Friday, February 1: Don’t forget to post last year’s OSHA Summary of Illness and Injuries. Notices to employees are customarily posted by February 1-April 30.
• Tuesday, February 5: Chinese New Year — Did you know that 2019 is the year of the pig? It’s the 12th of all the zodiac animals and is a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture.
• Thursday, February 14: Valentine’s Day — Bring a special red or pink treat for everyone in the office, like cupcakes, to share the love.
• Monday, February 18: President’s Day — Remember to take care of business the week before. Banks and post offices will be closed on this federal holiday (Happy Birthday George Washington!)
• Wednesday, February 27: Q1 Growth Series — Join us for our first Growth Series event of the year! We’ve invited New York Times’ Bestseller, James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits to be our keynote speaker. *Stay tuned to register*
• Thursday, February 28: Compliance alert! — If you’re filing by paper, don’t forget to file Form 1094-C and 1095-C to IRS by mail (or by April 1 electronically).

With National Employee Appreciation Day approaching, it’s the perfect time to shift focus from payroll and compliance to employee engagement. If you’re looking for tips, check out our free, Employee Engagement Playbook written by our HR experts.

• Friday, March 1: National Employee Appreciation Day — Share words of appreciation or plan a special pau hana for National Employee Appreciation Day. Pro-tip: Check out our list of 10 Ways to Recognize Employees for Under $30.
• Sunday, March 17: St. Patrick’s Day — Surprise your team and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day the Friday before or the Monday after with a delicious green smoothie.
• Wednesday, March 20: First Day of Spring — Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home, it’s for your desk, cube, or worksite of choice. Set aside 15-30 minutes in the morning to tidy up your workplace, as a team!
• Tuesday, March 26: Prince Kuhio Day — The state holiday that honors one of Hawaii’s best known leaders also means that government offices will be closed, along with public and private schools too.

The start of a new quarter is a good time to review your HR programs and get a pulse on your “peoplework.” Use this month to gain employee feedback (and provide some too), train managers, and invest in coaching your team as well. Taking the time to listen to your team can even lead to valuable insights to help you with strategic planning for the rest of the year. Learn more: Making Plans for Next Year: Why Feedback and Candid Conversations Matter.

• In April: Local Reads — Don’t forget to grab your copy of Hawaii Business magazine’s Best Places to Work issue and read all about Hawaii’s top workplaces.
• Tuesday, April 2: Equal Pay Day — Do you want to make the workplace fair? Give yourself a refresher on Hawaii’s Salary History Ban and how it seeks to end pay discrimination, which is especially important for women in the workplace.
• Monday, April 22: Earth Day — How can you challenge your team to end plastic pollution? Create a competition or a contest to encourage everyone to be more green.

With the summer months approaching, be proactive in preparing your workplace for flexibility, if your culture allows for it. For example, review vacation and PTO policies, establish a work from home schedule, or set summer hours. This is also a good time to get the ball rolling on hiring interns or staffing up for the summer months. Pro-tip: Check out our post on How to Write Job Descriptions That Attract the Right Candidates.

• In May: Spring Growth Series — Stay tuned for our Spring Growth Series event *dates and details coming soon* Did we mention it’s free?
• Wednesday, May 1: May Day — If you’re able, consider planning a team building lunch and outing around the 92nd annual Lei Day Celebration put on by the City and County of Honolulu that features a Lei Queen and her court, a lei contest and other entertainment.
• Monday, May 27: Memorial Day — Enjoy your day off on this federal holiday, but don’t forget to take care of your business needs the week prior as government offices and banks will be closed.

Aloha summer! And for us in Hawaii, hurricane season too (remember Lane?)! It’s also National Safety Month too, so the month of June is a great time to review your business’s hurricane preparedness plan, think about compliance training at your workplace, and potentially hire an expert to lead a safety workshop.

• In June: National Safety Month and the start of Hawaii’s hurricane season
• Tuesday, June 11: King Kamehameha Day — In observance of this state holiday, City and County of Honolulu offices will be closed and various services will be affected.
• Friday, June 21: First Day of Summer — The summer season officially begins! What can you do to add more fun to your workplace this summer? (Tip: free breakfast on Friday!)

With summer in full swing, don’t forget to encourage your team to use their vacation time and consider offering summer perks like early office closure on Aloha Fridays or multiple casual, dress-down days per week. Need a good summer reading list? Check our list of 6 Books to Help you Become a Better Leader.

• Thursday, July 4: Independence Day — Plan something red, white, and blue to celebrate Independence Day at your workplace.
• Thursday, July 25: Local Event Alert! — Join us at Hawaii Business magazine’s 6th annual Leadership Conference, Hawaii’s largest professional development event.
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With the year already past its midpoint, set aside time to tackle business and HR pain points like healthcare or labor costs. And before the Q4 push comes along, August can be a good month to focus on career growth and development with your team too.

• In August: Summer Growth Series — Check back to get the scoop on our last Growth Series event of the year! *dates and details coming soon*
• Friday, August 16: Hawaii Statehood Day — Friday marks Statehood Day, a holiday for state, judiciary and county offices, but you can expect other closures and holiday schedules too, like The Bus.

Once fall comes around, recruiting and hiring tend to pick up to fill vacant roles before the holidays. Dedicate this month to preparing for the fall and holiday rush—e.g. get your holiday staffing plan in order, especially before budgets run out. Learn more: 6 Essentials to Make Sure a Job Candidate Chooses Your Business.

• In September: National Payroll Week (September 2-6) — Let’s face it. Without your payroll guy, girl, or firm (hint: like us!), you business wouldn’t be able to operate smoothly. If you handle payroll in-house, do something nice to show your appreciation. And if you don’t have anyone helping you out, give us a call!
• Monday, September 2: Labor Day — Celebrate Labor Day the week before with a crock-off: crock pot cook-off. Invite everyone to bring their favorite crock pot dish to share and the winner gets a prize.
• Monday, September 23: First Day of Fall — Give decorating for fall a shot! Just because our leaves don’t turn yellow, red or orange in Hawaii, doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate the colors of fall into your office or workplace.

October is the perfect time to position your employee health and wellness as a priority. For example, promote flu shots before the season begins or start planning for open enrollment (November-December) by understanding your healthcare options.

• Monday, October 14:  Discovers’ Day/Columbus Day — Monday is Discoverers' Day in Hawaii in recognition of the Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands. And while it’s not a state holiday, Columbus Day is a federal holiday, which means there is no regular mail delivery and many banks are closed.
• Wednesday, October 16: National Boss Day — No matter where you’re at in your company hierarchy, everyone’s got a boss. Don’t let this one slip by. Think about something you can do to brighten their day.
• Thursday, October 24: Local Event Alert! — Join us at Hawaii Business magazine’s 2019 Wahine Forum, Hawaii’s largest leadership and career development conference for women. Or read our take on Why Gender Diversity is Great in the Workplace.
• Thursday, October 31: Halloween — At ProService Hawaii, October is synonymous with Halloween. This holiday is a big deal in our office (here’s proof). It’s a great time to get creative, build teamwork, and have fun too—what can your office do?

It’s November and the holidays are in full swing! Ensure you have the right employee coverage, coordinate time-off requests, and start planning for annual or holiday bonuses. Pro-tip: Check out our Holiday Bonus Guide for Small Businesses.

• Monday, November 11: Veterans Day — Veterans Day is a federal holiday which means state and federal offices will be closed, mail won’t be delivered, and The Bus will operate on a holiday schedule, so plan accordingly for your business.
• Thursday, November 28: Thanksgiving Day — We’re all thankful for something. What can you do to encourage your staff to share specific things their thankful for as a team?
• Friday, November 29: Black Friday — If you work allows for it, consider offering your employees the option to work-from-home (or remotely) to sweeten the season.

And just like that, another year comes to an end! ‘Tis the season for appreciating what we have, so thank your employees with special perks, a holiday bonus, and maybe even a party! It’s also a good time to get started on planning for 2020.

• In December: Employee Appreciation Month — What kind of special activities or treats can you roll out each week during the the month of December to appreciate your staff?
• Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day — Think about ways you can celebrate Christmas with you team throughout the month, whether it’s an ugly sweater contest, white elephant exchange, or holiday outing with your staff.
• Tuesday, December 31: New Year’s Eve — This is a great time to encourage your team to think about their personal and professional goals for the New Year.

We know it’s challenging managing a company in Hawaii, and we hope this calendar can help you stay organized so you can focus on your core business. As you plan for next year, we would love to hear about your goals for 2019.

Want to know more HR basics? We'd love to see you at one of our upcoming Breakfast Series.

***Don’t forget to bookmark this page for quick reference throughout the year.***