The HCA Brief
By Sorren Human Capital Advisory | September 2026 Edition · 3-Minute Read
A Note From Julie
September is when HR's fall plans should start turning into deadlines, decisions, and do-it-now tasks. Year-end payroll prep, EEO-1 readiness, open enrollment communications, holiday staffing, and a set of meaningful state law changes are all converging and the window to act proactively is right now.
This month's HCA Brief walks you through the five priorities your HR team should be moving on in September; from starting Form W-2 reporting prep to implementing new state-law requirements in Arizona, Florida, and New York. September is a pivot point: close enough to year-end for deadlines to matter, but early enough to fix problems before they become urgent.
— Julie Cummings, National HCA Managing Partner
What's Moving in Employment Law
September is a pivot point for HR: close enough to year-end for deadlines to matter, but early enough to fix problems before they become urgent. Here are the five most critical priorities your HR team needs to act on now.
Start Year-End Payroll and Form W-2 Reporting Prep
September is the ideal time to start testing the data, codes, and workflows that will drive Form W-2 reporting. Confirm employee data, review pay codes, reconcile wages and taxes, and make sure HR, Payroll, Benefits, and Accounts Payable are aligned before small issues become January corrections.
Review Your EEO-1 Readiness
EEO-1 reporting may be headed for a federal shake-up, but the requirement is still on the books and some states will continue to require the reports. September is the time to keep your data, processes, and ownership clear so you are ready for whichever reporting path comes next.
Fine-Tune Open Enrollment Communications
By September, open enrollment planning should shift from 'build the strategy' to 'make sure employees actually understand it.' Tighten messages, confirm timing, equip managers, and make sure employees know what is changing, what they need to do, and when they need to act.
Get Ahead of Holiday Season Staffing Issues
September is the time to spot coverage gaps, move on hiring needs, and help managers avoid last-minute scheduling chaos. Ask employees to submit year-end PTO early, review November and December staffing needs, and refresh hiring workflows so you can move quickly.
Move September State Compliance Updates From Watchlist to Workplan
September's state-law changes touch contracts, leave administration, wage rates, and workplace security. Key changes: Arizona contractor and military leave rules (Sept 12), Florida minimum wage increase to $15.00 (Sept 30), and New York hospital emergency room security requirements (Sept 18).
September Employer Compliance Checklist
Use this checklist to confirm your organization is current on critical September obligations.
- Confirm employee names, SSNs, addresses, work states and local tax jurisdictions
- Review pay codes for taxable fringe benefits, third-party sick pay, tips and overtime
- Test new Form W-2 fields for qualified tips and overtime for accurate payroll-system flow
- Reconcile year-to-date wages, withholding, benefits and pay codes against payroll registers and Forms 941
- Coordinate with Benefits and AP to capture taxable benefits, reimbursements and reportable payments
- Monitor federal EEO-1 developments and confirm who owns demographic-reporting readiness
- Review workforce demographic data for accuracy, completeness and consistency
- Turn draft open enrollment materials into final employee-ready communications
- Map the communication calendar from announcement through enrollment deadline
- Prepare manager talking points and FAQs for open enrollment questions
- Ask employees to submit planned year-end PTO as early as possible
- Review November and December staffing needs by team, location and role
- Review Arizona qualified marketplace contractor agreements for termination-without-cause language by Sept 12
- Add military training to Arizona military leave policies as a covered reason for leave by Sept 12
- Update Florida payroll systems for $15.00 minimum wage effective September 30
- Confirm New York hospital emergency department security staffing plans by September 18
This Month's HR Insight
💡 Turn September's Pivot Point Into a Planning Advantage
September is one of the most strategically important months on the HR calendar; not because it's the busiest, but because it's the last month where you have real runway before year-end pressure sets in.
The organizations that finish the year strong are the ones that use September to close open loops: confirm payroll data, finalize enrollment communications, identify staffing gaps, and move state-law updates from awareness to action.
This month, try assigning a named owner and a hard deadline to each item on your compliance checklist. A 10-minute weekly sync with your HR team leads can keep September's to-do list from becoming October's fire drill.
— HCA team
Data Worth Noting
of employers
have not yet begun Form W-2 reporting prep by September 1, despite year-end payroll errors being among the most common — and costly — compliance issues HR teams face. — SHRM Payroll Survey
more likely
Organizations that finalize open enrollment communications by September 30 are 2.4 times more likely to report a smooth, low-error enrollment cycle compared to those who begin communications in October or later.
Sorren Learning Events
Miss a live session? No problem. Sorren HCA offers a growing library of free monthly webinars available on-demand — designed to be practical, focused, and actionable for HR professionals and people-ops leaders.
On-Demand Webinar Library
Can't make a live session? Sorren HCA offers a growing library of free on-demand webinars — available anytime, on the topics HR professionals and people-ops leaders need most. From compliance updates to workforce strategy, our monthly webinars are designed to be practical, focused, and actionable.
Your Question, Answered
❓ "We have employees in Arizona and Florida. What do we need to do before September 12 and September 30?"
Plan now, and you can be ahead of the changes!
In Arizona, two changes take effect September 12, 2026. First, qualified marketplace contractor agreements may only be terminated without cause if the contract allows either party to end the arrangement at any time with reasonable notice, or if the contractor gives the contracting organization reasonable notice. Review your Arizona contractor agreements now and coordinate with legal, procurement, and operations to tighten termination language before the deadline.
Second, Arizona is expanding military leave coverage so that any military training qualifies for job-protected leave — not just camps, maneuvers, formations, and armory drills. Update your leave policies, train managers to recognize covered requests, and refresh your documentation practices before September 12.
In Florida, the state minimum wage rises from $14.00 to $15.00 per hour effective September 30, 2026. The tipped employee minimum direct cash wage increases to $11.98. Identify affected employees, update payroll and HRIS systems, and check offer letters, job postings, and compensation templates for outdated wage references.
Sorren HCA can help you draft compliant policies, train your teams, and audit open compliance matters.
Contact us at [email protected]
Work With Sorren HCA
Sorren Human Capital Advisory · September 2026 Edition