News from Ollis/Akers/Arney Human Resources Consulting

Human Resources & Business Consulting Newsletter

November 2026

Spending Extra Effort on Open Enrollment

is Worth the Investment

Open enrollment may be one of the most important financial and healthcare decisions you make all year. Yet many employees spend just 30 to 60 minutes choosing their benefits or allow their previous elections to continue automatically. That approach may be convenient, but it can also lead to costly oversights.

According to the 2026 Selerix Employee Benefits Survey, 35% of employees regret the benefits choices they made during their last open enrollment. Common reasons included failing to account for lifestyle changes, missing the enrollment deadline and not understanding the available options.

Your benefits affect your access to care, out-of-pocket expenses, financial protection and overall well-being. This article explains how investing additional time now can help you choose coverage that better reflects your needs for the coming year.

Read the article HERE

Download article HERE

Ollis/Akers/Arney's Human Resources Consulting team can assist with creating a compensation structure, market analysis, and communication plan.

Different Types of Raises and How to Communicate Them

Pay increases aren’t one-size-fits-all. A merit increase signals something very different to an employee than a standardized across-the-board adjustment, even if the dollar amounts are similar. Understanding the distinctions helps organizational leaders make more consistent, defensible compensation decisions and have productive conversations with employees when it’s time for raises.

This article provides an overview of the most common types of raises and employer guidance on how to communicate them effectively.

Best Practices for Preventing Harassment

in a Remote Environment

Harassment is not limited to a physical workplace. Illegal harassment can occur in a virtual work environment, in the same way as in a physical environment, through online communication platforms and systems, including an employer’s email system, instant messaging system, electronic bulletin board, videoconferencing technology, intranet, public website, social media accounts or other equivalent services or technologies.

Examples of harassing conduct in a remote work environment include:

Sexist comments made during a video meeting;
Ageist or ableist comments typed in a group chat;
Racist imagery that is visible in an employee’s workspace while the employee participates in a videomeeting; or
Sexual comments made during a video meeting about a bed being near an employee in the videoimage.

Read More HERE

Reminder to Audit Your I-9s as ICE Issues Violation Classifications

In March 2026, ICE published a fact sheet identifying new Form I-9 substantive errors which were previously held out to be technical violations.
Substantive errors, which cannot be corrected during an I-9 audit, pose a significant financial burden on employers with fines ranging from $288 to $2,861 per form violation.

With the introduction of newly-designated substantive errors combined with increased inspection activity, there is an increased potential for exposure to employers flowing from the preparation of Form I-9s. As published in the Federal Register, substantive violation fines range from $288 to $2,861 per Form I-9. Employers may want to conduct an audit of their Form I-9s to demonstrate compliance with federal law.

Ogletree-Deakin article found HERE

Treasury and IRS Issue Guidance for Paid Family

& Medical Leave Tax Credit

On Aug. 5, 2026, the Treasury Department and the IRS issued Notice 2026-28, providing guidance on amendments made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to an employer credit in the IRS Code for paid family and medical leave (PFML). The changes have been in effect for taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2025.

Section 45S of the Code allows a tax credit for certain employer expenses incurred as a result of providing PFML. Before the OBBBA was passed in July 2025, the credit was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2025. The OBBBA made the credit permanent and extended its coverage to a percentage of any premiums an employer paid for a PFML insurance policy, regardless of whether employees actually took PFML during the tax year. Previously, the credit was available only for a percentage of the wages of employees on PFML. The amendments also allowed the credit for leave taken by employees who have worked for their employer for only six months (down from one year). The OBBBA limited the credit to leave taken by employees who work at least 20 hours per week.

Employers must provide at least two weeks of PFML for the credit to apply.

Read all the details HERE

Department of Labor Continues to Issue New Opinion Letters

The Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division issued four opinion letters on May 28, 2026 interpreting the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and covered:

Whether exempt employees retain their exempt status when performing additional non-exempt work;
Whether a quarterly bonus program is a valid “percentage of total earnings” bonus;
Whether time spent traveling offsite for bona fide meal periods is compensable; and
Compensability of pre- and post-shift time, the de minimis exemption, and rounding practices.

Read the Jackson Lewis article HERE

In September, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued two opinion letters examining:

Whether meal breaks were sufficient to be uncompensated; and
If exempt employees could volunteer for the organization that employed them.

Additional Opinion Letter information can be found by clicking on the Jackson Lewis article above or reading the HRCI blog article which can be found HERE.

The Ollis/Akers/Arney Human Resources Consulting team stays informed on evolving laws, regulations, and compliance requirements to help clients navigate workplace challenges with confidence.

As seen in Springfield Business Journal's Ask the Experts