January 2026 | 67th EDITION NEWSLETTER | | While the articles selected for this newsletter may not directly represent the opinions of the Missouri Employment Conference, they have been thoughtfully curated to spark interest and engagement among HR professionals. Each piece offers unique insights and perspectives that can enhance your understanding of the dynamic field of human resources. We encourage you to approach these articles with an open mind, as they are designed to inspire dialogue and promote a deeper exploration of the trends shaping our industry today. | | |
What Will Define Work In 2026? 9 Predictions Every HR Leader Should Be Watching
HR Executive | Jason Walker and Rey Ramirez | January 2, 2026
As organizations plan for 2026, one reality is hard to ignore: The workplace is shifting faster than most companies can adapt. After a year marked by layoffs, cautious hiring and rapid AI experimentation, the coming year won’t bring stability—it will bring acceleration.
The forces shaping work are structural, interconnected and already in play.
Based on our work with organizations across North America, Europe and Latin America, here are the trends we believe will matter most in 2026.
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Emerging HR Trends In 2026
15Five | Genevieve Michaels | December 22, 2025
New year, fresh start—and for HR leaders, a chance to shape what comes next. As we step into 2026, you're probably asking yourself the same questions many of your peers are:
Which trends from last year actually stuck? What's coming that I need to prepare for? And most importantly, how do I turn all this change into real wins for my people and my business?
2025 taught us a lot. AI went from being the shiny new thing to just another part of how we work. Conversations around workplace flexibility and employee wellbeing moved from nice-to-haves to must-haves.
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Why Your People Can Use a “Year in Review”
Associations Now | Mark Athitakis | December 19, 2025
Spotify’s popular year-end Wrapped has lessons for associations—track data, celebrate wins, give people reasons to stay engaged.
‘Tis the season for wrapping it up.
This December has been crowded with apps and online services delivering year-in-review presentations about how we engaged with them. The music streaming service Spotify has been delivering its Spotify Wrapped summaries for years now, but this year other apps like YouTube and LinkedIn have recently gotten into the game—to the point where the “wrapped” concept is now the stuff of Saturday Night Live skits.
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HR’s Messiest Challenges of 2025
HR Executive | Jill Barth | December 22, 2025
From generational friction to AI transformation gone sideways, HR leaders faced unprecedented complexity in 2025. These stories capture the year’s thorniest workplace challenges, the leaders who tackled them head-on and the lessons learned when traditional strategies no longer worked. Here’s what defined one of HR’s messiest years yet.
Focusing on people
Can Boomers and Gen Z really work together? HR’s next big challenge: Given rising age diversity in the workplace, experts say that managers and leaders, guided by HR, need to be more intentional about bringing together workers across generational divides.
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What's the Future of Health Coverage?
MEC Sponsor Big Tree Medical | November 2025
In case you missed it – watch Dr. Wheeler’s "Breaking the Status Quo" webinar now! He dives into how Direct Primary Care works with HSAs, the major changes coming in 2026 that will make it possible to use HSAs for your membership, and how Big Tree is building a better model of health care.
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How to Spot Early Warning Signs of a Skills Gap in Your Workforce
Forbes | Dr. Diane Hamilton | January 02, 2026
The meaning of a skills gap has changed over the years. It used to center on technical skills employees needed to develop. With the rise of AI, it now includes how people adjust to technology, their behavioral skills, their willingness to try new approaches, and many other factors that are harder to spot. That creates a challenge because research in psychology shows that patterns begin long before a person’s results start to slip.
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Better Teams Lead to Improved Performance
HR Bartender | Sharlyn Lauby | December 22, 2025
Organizations want high performance. This isn’t a secret. It helps the organization accomplish its goals and bring value. Individuals want the same thing and for the same reasons. They want to accomplish their goals, and they want to create value.
A key element to improved performance is being able to create and participate in a team.
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How to Create a Payroll Calendar
MEC Sponsor PAYPRO | October 20, 2025
Running payroll isn’t just about paying employees on time, it’s also about staying ahead of deadlines for taxes, benefits, and deductions. One of the simplest but most effective tools for staying organized is a payroll calendar. A payroll calendar lays out your pay periods, paydays, and key filing deadlines in one place, helping you avoid compliance issues and giving employees confidence in when they’ll be paid.
This article will explain why a payroll calendar matters, what to include, and how to build one step by step.
What Is a Payroll Calendar?
A payroll calendar is a schedule that shows all the important payroll dates for your business. At a glance, it tells you:
· When each pay period begins and ends
· Employee paydays
· Tax deposit deadlines (federal, state, and local)
· Benefits and deduction due dates
It’s more than just a tool for HR, it’s a roadmap for financial planning, ensuring payroll obligations are met consistently and on time.
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NLC Wrapped: Top Resources of 2025
National League of Cities | Jeremy Grossman | December 30, 2025
As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at the most popular NLC resources from 2025! From our Presidential Actions Summary to our City Fiscal Conditions 2025 report and beyond, explore the top resources published this year from among the 1000+ resources housed in NLC’s Resource Library that mattered most to local leaders.
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10 Top Highlights from NLC in 2025
National League of Cities | Jeremy Grossman | December 23, 2025
As 2025 comes to an end, our team at the National League of Cities is reflecting on some of our favorite highlights of the year!
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Want Insights on Your City’s Infrastructure? Now You Can Google It.
Smart Cities Dive | Ryan Kushner | January 5, 2026
New Ask Google Earth feature allows users to see everything from the number of stop signs to storm drains in a city.
Google’s Ask Google Earth platform now allows users to locate specific types of infrastructure within defined areas, a feature the tech company said could streamline workflows for urban planning and analysis.
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End-of-Year Update for State & Local Government
PBMares | Michael A. Garber and Betsy L. Hedrick | December 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, many state and local governments are working within a more predictable operating environment than they’ve had in recent years.
Revenues and budgets are relatively stable, and analysts say municipalities are entering a period of normalization. With federal stimulus funding now phased out, however, most departments are adjusting to tighter budgets and a greater reliance on recurring revenue.
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As an organization with diverse functions, the U.S. Department of Labor carries out its mission through a number of offices and agencies. These are organized into major program areas, and headed by an Assistant Secretary or other official.
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Unleashing The Value and Talent of All Americans
Dept of Labor Blog | Julie Hocker | December 2, 2025
With deep gratitude and great anticipation, I am embarking on my new role as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy. I am honored to lead the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and a team that has already earned a reputation for excellence in achieving results for American workers with disabilities.
My commitment to this work is rooted in years of experience across the public and private sectors. I have seen how policy, practice, and partnership combine to create real opportunity. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Olmstead decision, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act are more than milestones. They are the foundation that advances dignity, work, independence, and economic mobility.
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I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification
Use Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. All U.S. employers must properly complete Form I-9 for every individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and aliens. Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form.
On the form, an employee must attest to their employment authorization. The employee must also present their employer with acceptable documents as evidence of identity and employment authorization. The employer must examine these documents to determine whether they reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the employee, then record the document information on the employee’s Form I-9. Certain employers who choose to remotely examine the employee’s documentation under a DHS-authorized alternative procedure rather than via physical examination must indicate they did so by checking the box provided.
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Training Requirements and Resources
OSHA provides information on employers' training requirements and offers resources such as free publications, videos, and other assistance to help employers protect workers against injuries and illnesses.
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OSHA provides safety and health resources specifically designed for small businesses. Find information on complying with OSHA standards and receive advice you can trust through OSHA's no-cost and confidential On-Site Consultation Program. | | Monthly newsletter featuring compliance assistance, training and other workplace safety and health resources. | | |
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, transgender status, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered.
The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.
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EEOC Resources
Need information about a specific discrimination topic? We've categorized EEOC material for small businesses categorized by topic, so you can find what you need quickly and easily.
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Employers
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces Federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. These laws protect employees and job applicants against employment discrimination when it involves:
- Unfair treatment because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Harassment by managers, co-workers, or others in the workplace, because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
- Denial of a reasonable workplace accommodation that the employee needs because of religious beliefs, disability, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
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Retaliation because the employee complained about job discrimination or assisted with a job discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
| | PRESENTING SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT | | | | |
Bukaty Companies is one of Kansas City’s top-ranked employee benefits and insurance brokerage firms.
Contact Kent Friend 913-777-7535 for more info!
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Missouri 2026 Minimum Wage to Increase
MEC Presenting Sponsor Bukaty Companies | October 29, 2025
After the dizzying legislative battle that resulted in the repeal of portions of Missouri’s voter-approved Proposition A, one surviving element takes effect January 1, 2026. The state’s employers should prepare for the automatic minimum wage increase to $15 an hour at the start of the new year. The current hourly minimum wage is $13.75.
Gutted by the repeal, signed by Governor Mike Kehoe this past summer, was a requirement to annually adjust the hourly minimum wage based on the Consumer Price Index and provide workers with sick pay.
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MEC is THE source for classroom instruction covering topics in the areas of employment, training, benefits & wellness education.
It remains an essential event for those who want to stay up-to-date and compliant with the latest developments in labor and employment law, best practices, healthcare reform, training, wellness, analysis, trends, and more.
Earn CEUs while networking with top industry professionals!
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Missouri Employment Conference
The Missouri Employment Conference has been THE source for classroom instruction covering topics in the areas of employment, training, benefits & wellness education.
The mission of the Missouri Employment Conference is to deliver an affordable conference that provides the opportunity to develop professionally as well as receive continuing education credits through multiple professional associations such as:
- Human Resource Certification Institute Credits
- Society for Human Resource Management Professional Development Credits
- Continuing Legal Education Credits
- Continuing Professional Education Credits
- Missouri Municipal Finance Officers Association Certification
- American Society of Association Executives CAE Credits
The Missouri Employment Conference is the fastest growing conference of its kind in Missouri, offering multiple informative, interactive and educational sessions delivered by some of the top employment lawyers, payroll professionals, workforce development leaders and many others, from Missouri and surrounding states. It remains an essential event for those who want to stay up-to-date and compliant with the latest developments in labor and employment law, best practices, healthcare reform, how-to’s, wellness, analysis, trends, and more.
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CONFERENCE TEAM
LISA, MICHELLE, SARAH, NAN & SUE
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Resources for Mental Health Support
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat for free and confidential support from trained crisis counselors 24/7.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free help line: Call 800-662-4357 for 24/7 mental health support in English or Spanish.
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SUCCEEDING AT WORK
Accommodations At Work
While you must be able to perform the essential tasks of your job, you are entitled to reasonable accommodations (changes made to company procedures/rules) that will help increase and maintain your job performance.
Examples of accommodations include:
· Flexible work schedules or start times
· Reduced distractions or noise in the work area
· Working from home or telecommuting.
· Written directions and task lists
· Regular written or verbal feedback
· Flexible break schedule
· Private, quiet space to rest during a break
· Use of a job coach
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Why Mental Health Should Be a Workplace Strategic Priority in 2026
World at Work | Paula Allen | January 02, 2026
Sixty-one percent of U.S. workers reported declining productivity due to mental health issues, according to a 2025 Mental Health BarometerOpen in a new tab by TELUS Health, a global digital health provider. Additionally, the latest TELUS Mental Health IndexOpen in a new tab showed American workers’ overall mental health has fallen to its worst point in nearly three years.
To reverse this trend, organizations should act now with targeted, evidence-based interventions because an effective productivity strategy for 2026 likely won’t come from new software or restructured workflows. It will more likely come from addressing a core challenge holding your workforce back — their mental health.
| | STRONG MINDS | STRONG HEARTS | | |
SERVANT LEADERSHIP
By definition, Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve. If you are in a place where your talent and skills will help others, by all means, use them. We are proud of the work our leaders have done and hope that if you are in a place to serve, you choose to step up.
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From volunteering and outreach, to becoming a member, there is a place for you to join in the fight against human trafficking.
Find out how to:
- Share and help spread the word
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Follow us on Facebook and share posts to raise awareness
If you see something, say something. Watch for signs of human trafficking and report suspicious activity.
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New On Netflix in January 2026: 5 Best Shows and Movies to Stream, Plus Full Release List
Tom’s List | Malcolm McMillan | December 30, 2025
(Image credit: Liam Daniel/Warrick Page/Netflix)
Here are my top picks for what you need to watch on Netflix this January and the complete list of new releases…
Netflix has revealed everything coming to the streaming service in January 2026, and the big name that will be on everyone's mind is "Bridgerton." The hit Shondaland romance series is back for season 4 at the end of this month. This time, the story revolves around Benedict (Luke Thompson), the second son of the Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton. But the question on everyone's lips will be, "Can they get People's Sexiest Man Alive Jonathan Bailey to show up for a scene?"
That's not my most anticipated new title on Netflix this month, though. No, that honor goes to "The Rip." This action thriller stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as a pair of Miami cops who find millions during a drug bust. Unfortunately for them, they also find that more money does indeed create more problems, and their particular problems carry automatic weapons.
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Early Taste of 2026 Food Trends and Flavor Predictions, Plus What Popped Off in 2025
ABC News | Kelly McCarthy | December 19, 2025
Molly Baz eating a tuna sandwich with dill pickle Ayoh.
PEDEN + MUNK
Here's what food experts think we could see in the new year.
As 2025 comes to a close, take a look back at the top culinary trends of the year, and get an inside scoop of what global tastemakers predict people's palates can expect in 2026.
Top food and flavor trends of 2025
An array of bold flavor profiles and techniques permeated plates and pours across the culinary space in 2025 as chefs, bartenders, and manufacturers alike crafted sensory characteristics that spanned tangy and herbaceous notes of pickles to the tart, floral and citrusy taste of Japanese yuzu.
Google search experts shared some of the top trending queries with ABC News that highlighted the hits and huge traffic spikes within the food and drinks category.
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HELP AN HR HERO WIN A $50 VISA GIFT CARD!
Do you know someone in your HR department (or company-wide) who deserves to be recognized for making a positive impact in your company from day to day?
Whether personal or professional, in a big or a small way, we all know those people who go above & beyond for the greater good.
We want to help these everyday (H)eroes be (R)ecognized! Send your nominations to us & one deserving person each month leading up to the current conference will be selected to receive a $50 VISA gift card! We will announce the winner in the following month's newsletters.
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As we begin a new year, January offers a natural opportunity to pause, reset, and look ahead with intention. The challenges facing today’s workplaces—from evolving employment laws to employee well-being—are complex, but they also present opportunities to lead with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Through the Missouri Employment Conference community, we continue to foster meaningful conversations that ensure HR professionals and leaders are not navigating these changes alone, but alongside peers who share a commitment to learning, compliance, and thoughtful leadership.
Thank you for being part of this network and for your continued engagement with our newsletter and events. Your dedication to staying informed and proactive strengthens workplaces across Missouri and beyond. We look forward to the year ahead—filled with continued dialogue, stronger connections, and opportunities to support you in the important work you do every day.
Enjoy this month of intentional reset and take time to renew your connections—and as always, we are here for YOU.
Nan, Sue, and the Conference Team
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