Setting Yourself Up for A Successful 2026

With the start of 2026 and January well underway, businesses have an opportunity to set the tone for a productive and compliant year. Businesses are advised to consider the following to prepare for another successful year.

Review Employment Contracts, HR Policies and HR Templates

Kick off the year by reviewing employment contracts and policies to ensure they reflect any recent legislative changes and prepare for upcoming changes. Changes from 2025 will continue to have significant impact on remuneration, record keeping requirements, and penalty rates. 2026 may also see proposed updates and variations to modern awards. Updates to policies should also be communicated clearly to employees via training or other avenues. Consider how existing policies can be reiterated to staff and provide a reminder of their obligations through policy training.

Additionally, businesses may wish to review and update any HR templates including onboarding checklists, performance review forms, and termination letters as outdated templates can lead to compliance gaps and inefficiencies. An audit of HR templates ensures documentation reflects current legislation and organisational standards. Additionally, updates to templates should be communicated to relevant staff to maintain consistent operation throughout the business.

Culture

Workplace culture is beneficial to any successful business and January is a chance to create a positive tone for the year ahead. First, businesses may wish to assess their current culture and identify any potential concerns or risks related to culture. Culture reviews or satisfaction surveys may be useful tools to gauge how staff feel about their positions, their colleagues and the workplace. If instances of bullying or harassment were reported in 2025, it may be beneficial to reflect, identify any trends and adjust current practises to reduce the occurrence of future complaints.

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to conduct training and refreshers for all staff to remind them of expectations and their responsibly to abide by Codes of Conduct and Company Policies.

Leadership may also benefit from engaging in conversation with staff to reinforce open communication and strengthen relationships. Topics of discussion may include the following:

· Any professional goals staff have for the year;

· Reflection of 2025;

· Feedback regarding leadership styles or resources they may need to be successful in their role;

· Upcoming projects

Lastly, businesses may wish to consider implementing a HR calendar that includes a combination of nationally and internationally recognised significant dates in addition to dates that are relevent to the business. This calendar can include:

· Australian public holidays such as Good Friday and Easter Monday;

· Cultural celebrations like Diwali or Lunar New Year;

· Performance management cycles and review periods;

· Compliance audit timelines;

· Company town halls;

· Other significant dates such as R U OK Day.

Workforce planning

Workforce planning involves forecasting needs and aligning resources with business objectives. When calculating projected resourcing requirements for the year you may wish to consider the following:

· Seasonal demand;

· Growth plans;

· Potential restructures;

· Succession planning;

· Potential skills gaps.

Further, when changes occur within a team, for example from turnover or extended leave, it can have significant impacts on remaining staff. These impacts may include increased workloads, or unclear job roles, which in turn may lead to burn out. Proactively planning resourcing requirements for the year supports employee wellbeing and helps avoid reactive decision making.

Technology

Technological advancement continues to transform businesses in many ways including in HR operations. As the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more widely accepted within business, consider adopting it into business operations to increase efficiency. However, please be reminded of any obligations to privacy that may interfere with the adoption of AI Additionally, Human resource information systems (HRIS) may also be helpful as the program may assist in recruitment, personnel file management,

A new year can be overwhelming as you reflect on the past year and plan for the future.

HRBA can help you navigate challenges that may arise throughout the year. Contact HR Business Assist | P 1300 138 551 | E support@hrbusinessassist.com.au