September 2025 Edition

RKL’s Workforce Strategies team is here to help you navigate the complexities of today's HR environment with the updates, reminders and insights you need to maximize your most important asset — your people. We value your feedback, so let us know what you think of this newsletter!

S.P. 282 - L.D. 598 An Act to Require Minimum Pay for Reporting to Work

Effective September 24, Maine requires all employers with at least 10 employees for more than 120 days in a calendar year to compensate non-exempt employees who report for a scheduled shift but have their hours reduced or canceled. Employers must pay the lesser of either two hours at the employee’s regular rate of pay or the total wages for the scheduled shift. Certain exceptions apply to this requirement. Impacted employers should review the details of the new law to ensure compliance. Violations may result in fines ranging from $100 to $500 per occurrence.

List of Eligible Jobs for No Tax on Tips Provision of the OBBBA Published

On September 2, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published an initial list of occupations that are eligible for the no tax on tips provision of the OBBBA. Eligible jobs have been divided into eight industry categories:

• Beverage and food services
• Entertainment and events
• Hospitality and guest services
• Home services
• Personal services
• Personal appearance and wellness
• Recreation and instruction
• Transportation and delivery

Surveyors Are Projecting 2026 Increase in Budgets

Survey results are in! Major compensation and total rewards surveyors such as WorldatWork, Conference Board, WTW and Payscale are projecting 2026 salary increase budgets between 3.2% and 3.6%, with the average between all sources being 3.45%.

These results are important for determining future budgets and informing your structure ranges. However, the market is volatile, and experts expect it to trend below these numbers.

RKL's Workforce Strategies team can help you understand what this means for your business and assist you in building a competitive compensation package for your employees with a Pay Equity and Compensation Analysis study.

Make Open Enrollment Easier with a Modern HRIS

With open enrollment right around the corner, it's important to understand how a modern Human Resource Information System (HRIS) can significantly streamline and improve your company's open enrollment process.

A modern HRIS can:

• Centralize benefits information
• Automate the enrollment process
• Send reminders
• Ensuring compliance

Employees can easily review and select benefits online, reducing paperwork and administrative burden for HR teams.

RKL offers a robust HR & Payroll Solution that combines industry-leading, cloud-based HR and payroll technology with onboarding, implementation and ongoing support from our experienced team of HR and payroll advisors. 

Upcoming Events

RKL will be presenting at the following events in October. Come out and learn from our experts!

October 8, 2025 - HR Professionals of Central Pennsylvania

"Future-Proofing HR in Manufacturing”

Explore how evolving workplace strategies and innovative approaches to employee engagement are reshaping the industry.

October 28, 2025 - Greater Reading Chamber Alliance

"The Compensation Playbook: HR's Role in Getting Pay Right"

Discover HR’s strategic role in compensation, including defining total compensation, ensuring pay equity and aligning compensation strategies with business objectives.