HR Q4 Planning Checklist for 2025

Summer is wrapping up, and the last quarter of the year is already here. To help you succeed, here are a few quick wins that can save a lot of stress later.

Review Compliance Training Deadlines

Your future self will thank you if compliance doesn’t slip into December. Year-end compliance doesn’t have to be a mad dash.

State-Specific Harassment Prevention

Count on Vubiz for training that meets U.S. and Canadian requirements. If you’re unsure about the latest laws, reply to this email and I will send you a list of rules by State/Province.

Workplace Violence Prevention

California teams are due for SB553 annual training. In New York, the Retail Worker Safety Act required completion two months ago—here is the course in case you missed it.

Your Q4 Planning Checklist

You know what topics to cover if you’ve finished your annual hazard identification process. Common safety training topics include:

  • Employee access to medical records
  • PPE and respiratory protection
  • Hearing conservation
  • Portable fire extinguishers
  • Hazardous materials and substance-specific training
  • Bloodborne pathogens (BBP)

 

Plan Performance Reviews

Performance reviews help measure if training is sticking:

  • Did employees apply trained behaviors on the job?
  • Were knowledge checks tied to performance metrics?

 

Update Workplace Policies

You have a holiday party to plan! Now is the perfect time to focus on updating policies if you haven’t already done so.

If you are in the U.S.:

  • Update for illegal DEI under Executive Orders 14173 and 14168
  • California’s minimum wage increased on July 1—update workplace posters if you haven’t already

If you are in Canada:

  • Add New Employee Information Requirements (July 1, 2025) to agreements or onboarding documents, and train HR staff on timely delivery and consistent language.
  • Ensure policies cover Long-Term Illness Leave (June 19, 2025), including medical documentation.

 

Boost Team Performance Before the Holidays

Q4’s not just about compliance—it’s a great time to sharpen skills:

 

Celebrate Wins

Highlight the steps teams took to reach their goals:

  • Did employees complete training on time?
  • Did certifications and cross-training grow?
  • Did managers join leadership development?
  • Were mentorship or coaching sessions held?
  • Did more employees move into new roles?
  • Was time-to-fill reduced for key roles?
  • Did survey participation or engagement scores rise?
  • Did manager-employee 1:1s increase?
  • Did employees report near misses?