Q4-2025 Newsletter

InvigorateHR
Nov 4
6 min read

With Heartfelt Gratitude - A Word of Thanks

As we approach the end of another successful year, we want to express our deepest gratitude to you—our valued clients and partners. Your trust has been the foundation of our success and has empowered us to make a meaningful impact in the HR industry and the communities we serve.

Professional Development on Your Terms: InvigorateU

We're excited to announce the launch of InvigorateU—our on-demand e-learning platform designed to fit your schedule and budget.

Whether you're looking to sharpen your leadership skills, deepen your professional expertise, or stay ahead of compliance requirements, InvigorateU delivers expert-led courses you can access anytime, anywhere.

Why InvigorateU?

✅ Earn SHRM PDCs: Our courses qualify for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification credits

✅ Digital Badges: Showcase your achievements and commitment to growth

✅ Flexible and Affordable: Learn at your own pace without breaking the budget

As you plan your 2026 professional development budget, consider InvigorateU as a cost-effective solution that delivers real results.

Ready to transform your professional impact? Check out our course catalog here.

Wrapping Up the Year: Essential HR Activities for a Strong Finish

As we approach the end of the year, HR professionals play a crucial role in closing out current operations and setting the stage for success in the coming year. Here are key activities to focus on:

Compliance Check: Conduct a thorough audit of your organization's compliance with current laws and regulations. Review employee classifications, personnel files, and ensure all required reports are submitted on time.
Policy Updates: Review and update company policies and employee handbooks to reflect any legal or organizational changes.
Performance Reviews: Complete annual performance evaluations and use these insights to develop meaningful HR metrics for the upcoming year.
Compensation and Benefits Review: Analyze current salary structures and benefits packages. Consider market comparisons and employee feedback to stay competitive.
Workforce Planning: Engage with leaders to forecast staffing needs and identify top talent for development opportunities.
Year-End Payroll Tasks: Verify wage, tax, and withholding information. Prepare for year-end bonuses and establish the new year's payroll schedule.
Time-Off Management: Review and update employee time-off balances, ensuring accurate carryover and payout of unused time where applicable.
Employee Communication: Keep staff informed about important year-end information, including benefits changes, holiday schedules, and tax documentation.

By tackling these essential tasks, HR can help organizations finish the year strong and lay a solid foundation for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. If you're not sure where to start, InvigorateHR can help! Contact us to learn more about our services!

Compliance Update Corner

New Overtime Tax Relief for Employees

You may have heard about "no tax on overtime," but here's what it really means for your employees: As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill signed in July 2025, eligible workers can now deduct the premium portion of their overtime pay—that's the extra "half" in time-and-a-half—from their federal income taxes. The deduction is capped at $12,500 for single filers and $25,000 for married couples filing jointly, and applies retroactively to January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.

Here's the important part: this isn't a blanket tax exemption.

Regular wages and Social Security/Medicare taxes on overtime still apply. The benefit also phases out for higher earners—starting at $150,000 for individuals and $300,000 for joint filers. Employees won't see immediate changes to their paychecks; instead, they'll claim this deduction when filing their 2025 tax return in 2026.

Given the complexity of these new rules and potential tax implications, we encourage employees to consult with a qualified tax accountant or attorney to ensure they're maximizing this benefit and avoiding any unexpected tax liability. As always, work with your payroll provider to ensure proper tracking and reporting of overtime wages.

Insights

Recent Blogs

September Blog

Supporting Our Hispanic Colleagues: A Guide for Hispanic Heritage Month and Beyond

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, and it's the perfect time to help employees learn, connect, and celebrate culture in the workplace. But true support for our Hispanic and Latino colleagues extends far beyond a single month of celebration. As HR professionals and business leaders, we have both an opportunity and responsibility to create inclusive workplaces where all employees feel valued, protected, and empowered to thrive.

Click Here to read more!

October Blog

The Flexibility Factor: Unlocking Employee Engagement and Retention

In today's competitive talent landscape, workplace flexibility has emerged as one of the most powerful drivers of employee engagement and retention. The numbers are compelling: 40.8% of workers would accept a lower salary for more flexibility, and 20.8% of employees who quit in 2024 cited poor work-life balance as their primary reason for leaving. The message is clear—flexibility is no longer a perk; it's a core expectation that directly impacts whether your best people stay or seek opportunities elsewhere.

Click Here to read more!

Latest Podcast Episodes

The Future of DEI: Navigating Shifting Priorities with Confidence

Ready to reframe the DEI conversation and discover more strategic approaches? Join us as we discuss how to maintain inclusive practices while adapting to organizational pressures—without compromising effectiveness or compliance. Learn proven techniques for reframing your approach, from "DEI" to "Talent Optimization" and "Inclusive Excellence," while keeping your programs impactful and legally sound.

Click Here to listen to the full episode!

The Talent Advantage: Finding Excellence Beyond Traditional Recruiting

Discover how to tap into high-quality talent pools your competitors are missing. This episode shares concrete strategies for recruiting diverse candidates, military veterans and spouses, and other overlooked talent sources. Learn to build inclusive recruiting processes that attract exceptional candidates while strengthening your organization's competitive advantage in the talent market.

Click Here to listen to the full episode!

The Power of Professional Pause: Setting Healthy Workplace Boundaries

In today's always-on work culture, the ability to pause and establish clear boundaries isn't just beneficial—it's essential for sustainable success. This episode explores the transformative impact of professional boundaries on both individual well-being and organizational productivity.

Click Here to listen to the full episode!

You can find all of our blogs and social media insights here.

Services Spotlight

Employee Engagement Services

We believe every workplace has the potential to be a place where people love to come to work. Our Employee Engagement consulting services are designed to unlock that potential by helping you create an environment where your team members feel valued, motivated, and excited about contributing to your organization's success. Through our collaborative approach, we work alongside your leadership team to identify strengths, enhance communication, and build the kind of culture that naturally inspires peak performance.

Our comprehensive approach includes:

Culture Assessment and Analysis: We dive deep to understand your current workplace dynamics and identify opportunities for growth
Leadership Development: Equipping your managers with the tools and strategies to inspire and motivate their teams effectively
Communication Enhancement: Building systems that foster transparency, feedback, and meaningful connections across all levels
Recognition & Reward Strategy: Creating programs that celebrate achievements and reinforce your organization's values
Career Development Planning: Helping employees see clear paths for growth and advancement within your company
Ongoing Measurement & Support: Regular pulse surveys and coaching to ensure sustained engagement improvements

Through our collaborative partnership approach, we work alongside your leadership team to build the kind of culture that naturally inspires peak performance. When employees are truly engaged, amazing things happen – productivity soars, innovation flourishes, retention improves, and your business thrives. Let us help you transform your workplace into a hub of energy and achievement that attracts and retains top talent while driving measurable business results.

Need help with your employee engagement strategies? We can help!

November Webinar

Beyond Pizza Parties: Recognition Strategies That Actually Drive Results

Wednesday, November 12th at 12:00 pm EST

Click Here to learn more and register!

We will be back in January with our regularly scheduled webinars. Be on the lookout for upcoming topics and dates!

Our Services

Did You Know…

InvigorateHR provides an entire suite of HR and people operations services. If it involves your people--we have you covered! Check out our ways we can partner with you below:

Book Recommendation

"In Michael Bungay Stanier's The Coaching Habit, coaching becomes a regular, informal part of your day so managers and their teams can work less hard and have more impact.

Drawing on years of experience training more than 10,000 busy managers from around the globe in practical, everyday coaching skills, Bungay Stanier reveals how to unlock your peoples' potential. He unpacks seven essential coaching questions to demonstrate how--by saying less and asking more--you can develop coaching methods that produce great results.Get straight to the point in any conversation with The Kickstart Question. Stay on track during any interaction with The Awe Question.

Save hours of time for yourself with The Lazy Question, and hours of time for others with The Strategic Question. Get to the heart of any interpersonal or external challenge with The Focus Question and The Foundation Question. Finally ensure others find your coaching as beneficial as you do with The Learning Question.A fresh innovative take on the traditional how-to manual, the book combines insider information with research based in neuroscience and behavioural economics, together with interactive training tools to turn practical advice into practiced habits. Witty and conversational, The Coaching Habit takes your work--and your workplace--from good to great."

--From Amazon