The Complete 2025 HR Calendar: Key Dates, Payroll Insights, and Employee Engagement

January 16, 2025 by Verified First

The Complete HR Calendar for 2025

Now that 2025 is fully underway, as an HR leader, you have a chance to strategically align your operations, ensure compliance, and foster a thriving workplace culture. An organized 2025 HR calendar is your ultimate tool for navigating the year ahead and keeping track of crucial compliance deadlines, payroll milestones, and employee holidays. 

In this blog, we’ll walk you through the key HR dates to mark on your calendar, from tax filing deadlines to leave policies, plus actionable tips for enhancing your team's experience throughout the year. Whether you’re streamlining your payroll process, preparing for open enrollment, or planning team-building activities, this guide will help you stay organized, informed, and ready to lead with confidence.

Let’s explore how you can start building your 2025 HR calendar.

January 

January marks the beginning of the recruitment cycle for many companies, and with it comes an opportunity to build a stronger workforce that will carry your organization through the rest of 2025. As you ramp up recruitment, it’s crucial to prioritize efficient background screening and onboarding processes. By investing in these key areas now, you can streamline your hiring efforts while building a strong foundation for the year ahead. 

Holidays 

  • New Year's Day: January 1, 2025
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day: January 20, 2025
  • Chinese New Year: January 29, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • January 15, 2025: 
    • The Federal Open Enrollment period for 2025 plans ends
    • Q4 2024 Estimated Tax Payment due
  • January 31, 2025:
    • Federal deadline to distribute W-2S, 1099-NEC, and 1099-MISC to employees
    • Quarterly Forms 941 and 720 due
    • Annual Form 940 due (If quarterly FUTA taxes were not paid when due)
    • Submit Form 1099-NEC to IRS and recipients 
    • Distribute Forms 1095-B and 1095-C 

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • National Mentoring Month: This month, consider launching a "mentor-match" initiative, where employees voluntarily sign up as mentors or mentees, and HR matches them based on their skills, goals, and interests. 
  • Want more month-by-month tips? Download the full calendar here!

February

As we move into February, it's the perfect time to ensure that your HR operations are fully aligned with regulatory requirements. At this point, your organization is likely reviewing its safety protocols to ensure compliance with OSHA’s reporting requirements. To support this effort, our partners at Safety Services Company are providing you with the OSHA 300 Recordkeeping: A Quick Reference Guide, a valuable resource for organizations to ensure accurate injury and illness reporting.

This month is also a great opportunity to review your compensation plans, conduct performance check-ins, and continue empowering a positive workplace culture. By taking time to address compliance and employee engagement now, you’ll strengthen your HR foundation for the rest of 2025.

Holidays 

  • Black History Month: February 1- 28, 2025
  • Groundhog Day: February 2, 2025
  • Valentine’s Day: February 14, 2025
  • President’s Day: February 17, 2025
  • Ramadan: February 28 - March 29, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Get access to your full payroll and compliance calendar here!

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Black History Month: Consider what makes the most sense to your organization and employees for embracing Black History Month. Some ideas can include educational events, book clubs, and volunteering with local nonprofit organizations. 
  • Random Acts of Kindness Week (February 9 -15): Empower team leaders to organize kindness initiatives during Random Acts of Kindness Week. Whether it’s hosting a volunteer day or organizing a team appreciation event, these initiatives create stronger bonds and encourage a culture of support and collaboration across the organization.

March

As your team starts to feel more settled in 2025, it’s a good time to focus on your hiring process to ensure that your recruitment strategies are both inclusive and compliant with the latest legal requirements. Hiring laws are not one-size-fits-all, and staying up to date is crucial to building a fair, efficient hiring process. 

Take time to review and refine your hiring policies this month. From Ban the Box and Clean Slate laws to Fair Chance Hiring regulations, it's important to ensure your hiring practices align with local and federal requirements. As your partner in compliance, Verified First is here to help you navigate these changes and stay informed on the rules and regulations that affect your organization. 

Holidays 

  • Women’s History Month: March 1 - 31, 2025
  • Employee Appreciation Day: March 7, 2025
  • International Women’s Day: March 8, 2025
  • St. Patrick’s Day: March 17, 2025
  • Eid al-Fitr: March 29 - 30, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • March 2, 2025: Deadline to electronically submit OSHA Form 300A
  • March 31, 2025: 
    • Deadline to file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C electronically
    • Deadline to file Form 1099-MISC electronically

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Women’s History Month: March is an excellent opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and leadership of women, both within your organization and globally. Consider activations such as women's resource and support groups, workshops on gender equality and diversity, or mental health and wellness initiatives. 
  • Need more details? Download the complete 2025 HR calendar here!

April

Now that spring is here, it’s the perfect time to get your HR department organized! Take this opportunity to declutter your HR processes, update policies, and streamline your documentation. 

One key area to focus on is Form I-9 compliance. If you're still handling paper forms, consider Verified First’s Historical I-9 solution, which allows you to securely store all I-9 documents in one place. A little spring cleaning in your HR department can go a long way toward increasing productivity and compliance. 

Holidays 

  • April Fool’s Day: April 1, 2025
  • Passover: April 12 - 20, 2025
  • Good Friday: April 18, 2025
  • Easter: April 20, 2025
  • Earth Day: April 22, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Want to stay ahead of the game? Download the full calendar to keep track of key dates

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • National Volunteer Month: National Volunteer Month is a great time to inspire employees to give back to their communities while fostering team bonding. Consider sponsoring a company-wide volunteer day or giving employees flexible hours for volunteer activities.
  • National Pet Day (April 11): Incorporating pets into the workplace, even in virtual settings, can create fun and boost team morale. Brainstorm creative ideas to celebrate such as a pet photo contest or a pet adoption and awareness campaign!

May

As we approach the halfway point of 2025, May is the perfect opportunity to review and refresh your background screening process. One area to pay particular attention to is employee rescreening

As you know, staying up to date on background checks for existing employees is just as important as screening new hires. To help automate and streamline the rescreening process, Verified First offers Batch Rescreening

Holidays 

  • Cinco de Mayo: May 5, 2025
  • Mother’s Day: May 11, 2025
  • National PEO Week: May 18 - 24, 2025
  • Memorial Day: May 26, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • May 15, 2025: 
    • Nonprofit tax returns due, including Form 990
    • Mid-year compliance check

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Mental Health Awareness Month: Take some time to connect with your employees about mental health. Consider offering educational activities and resources about mental health and stress management, or hosting wellness-based office activities. 
  • Looking for a complete list of dates, employee engagement ideas, and compliance tips? Grab the full 2025 HR calendar here!

June

Summer is officially here, and so is one of the most anticipated events in the HR community: SHRM’s Annual Conference and Expo! Whether you’re attending the conference or not, June is the perfect time to invest in your professional development. 

If you're looking to level up your HR knowledge, Verified First offers a wide range of live and on-demand webinars available for SHRM and HRCI credit! HR at the Table is a podcast-style webinar series with HR and Talent Acquisition leaders from some of America's most notable companies with topics designed to enhance your expertise. 

Holidays 

  • Pride Month: June 1 - 30, 2025
  • Flag Day: June 14, 2025
  • Father’s Day: June 15, 2025
  • Juneteenth: June 19, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Want your complete year-round HR payroll and compliance calendar? Download the full 2025 HR Calendar here!

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Pride Month: June is an opportunity to foster an inclusive workplace, raise awareness, and show support for LGBTQ+ employees. Consider thoughtful ways to engage with employees such as LGBTQ+ awareness training or employee resource groups. 
  • Juneteenth (June 19): Evaluate ways to meaningfully engage with employees about Juneteenth. This could include establishing or strengthening diversity initiatives or educational guest speakers. 

July

When was the last time you evaluated your organization's drug screening program? A robust drug testing process is essential for maintaining workplace safety and boosting employee productivity. 

At Verified First, we provide flexible drug screening solutions that meet your specific needs.  Plus, we offer access to the industry’s largest drug-testing network! Whether you're looking to adjust your testing panels, reduce turnaround times, or manage random drug screenings, we’re here to help make the process seamless and compliant.

Holidays 

  • Disability Pride Month: July 1 - 31, 2025
  • Independence Day: July 4, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • July 31, 2025: 
    • Quarterly Federal Tax Return (Form 941 and 720) due
    • IRS Forms 5500 and 5558 deadline (for calendar year plans)

Want to ensure you’ve covered all your compliance bases? Download the full calendar to stay on track!

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Disability Pride Month: There are several ways to engage with employees and celebrate Disability Pride Month. Consider inviting disability advocacy speakers to your organization or conduct an accessibility audit of your website, facility, and social media channels. 
  • International Self-Care Day (July 24): Take some time to encourage employees to prioritize their well-being and create a culture that values self-care. This can include offering mental health days, passing out self-care kits, or providing mental health resources. 

August

Before the end of the year sneaks up on you, August is the perfect time for a vendor checkup. Regularly assessing your vendors and partners ensures that your business operations continue running smoothly and that you're getting the most value from your relationships.

Verified First’s Vendor Assessment Scorecard helps you easily evaluate the performance of your vendors to identify potential gaps and measure your ROI. This tool can help pinpoint areas where improvements are needed, so you can make informed decisions about which partnerships are driving success and where adjustments may be required. 

Holidays 

  • Women’s Equality Day: August 26, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • None

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Looking for more ways to connect and engage with employees this year? Download the complete 2025 HR calendar here! 
  • Women’s Equality Day (August 26): Consider ways to raise awareness and educate employees about the importance of equality. You could host roundtable discussions with female leaders or offer workshops on gender equity. 

September

As job seekers start to flood the market, recruitment and hiring can quickly become overwhelming. Fortunately, Verified First is here to help. 

Verified First seamlessly integrates with over 100 industry-leading solutions, including applicant tracking systems, payroll tools, and more! With our one-click integration, you can easily connect your existing systems and automate your background screening process in just minutes, saving you time and reducing administrative workload.

Holidays 

  • Labor Day: September 1, 2025
  • National Payroll Week: September 1 - 5, 2025
  • Rosh Hashanah: September 22 - 24, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Get a full overview of the year’s key HR dates and reminders with our downloadable 2025 HR calendar

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Back to School: Back-to-school season is the perfect time to refresh your team’s mindset, set new goals, and embrace a season of learning and growth! Try hosting a professional development day or giving employees time to invest in different areas of growth. 
  • National Coffee Day (September 29): This day could be an opportunity to fuel your team's productivity and creativity while bonding over a shared love for coffee! Consider gifting employees a coffee gift card or bringing in drinks for the whole office. 

October

October is the perfect time to focus on mental health and well-being in the workplace. As the seasons change, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the importance of creating a supportive environment where employees can thrive, both mentally and emotionally. Prioritizing mental health not only boosts productivity and engagement but also fosters a culture of care and support.

This month, take a moment to evaluate your organization's mental health practices and explore ways to ensure that employees have the support and resources they need to maintain their well-being.

Holidays 

  • World Mental Health Day: October 10, 2025
  • Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day: October 13, 2025
  • Halloween: October 31, 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Get ahead of the holiday season with the complete 2025 HR Calendar!

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Halloween (October 31): Halloween is a fun and festive time of year to engage with employees. Your celebrations can be various amounts of time and include costume contests, pumpkin carving competitions, or handing out spooky treats. 

November

November is National Gratitude Month, making it the perfect time to slow down and reflect before the hectic holiday season. Your team has put in a lot of hard work and dedication this year, so whether you’re acknowledging individual achievements, planning year-end reviews, or reflecting on your company’s culture, this is the time to celebrate successes and set a positive tone for the months ahead. 

Fostering a culture of appreciation and support should be done throughout the year, but November provides a specific opportunity to intentionally focus on gratitude. It’s also a great time to revisit your company’s values and how they align with the contributions of your team. At Verified First, we’re here to help you implement these strategies to ensure your workplace remains motivated, engaged, and ready for the challenges ahead.

Holidays 

  • Day of the Dead: November 1, 2025
  • Veteran’s Day: November 11, 2025
  • Transgender Day of Remembrance: November 20, 2025
  • Thanksgiving: November 27. 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

Don’t get behind on your organization’s compliance needs! Download the full 2025 HR calendar to get started.

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • World Kindness Day (November 13): World Kindness Day can help you promote positive interactions and foster a sense of community in the workplace. To celebrate and engage with employees, consider hosting Random Acts of Kindness Bingo or spotlighting kindness shoutouts. 
  • Thanksgiving (November 27): Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, reflection, and connection. To celebrate and engage with your employees you can host a Thanksgiving-themed potluck, or send out thank you notes and appreciation cards. 

December

Wow, can you believe another year is coming to an end? Now is the perfect time to assess your talent strategy for 2026. Reflect on any skill gaps, refine your recruitment strategies, and explore opportunities for internal promotions to ensure your team is fully prepped for the new year. 

Starting your planning now can help you hit the ground running in 2026. At Verified First, we’re here to support your efforts with robust background check solutions that streamline hiring, mitigate risks, and improve employee engagement and retention. With background screening by Verified First, you’ll be equipped with the tools to make informed, efficient hiring decisions and set your team up for success in 2026 and beyond.

Holidays 

  • Hanukkah: December 14 - 22, 2025
  • Christmas Eve: December 24, 2025
  • Christmas Day: December 25, 2025
  • Kwanza: December 26, 2025 - January 1, 2026
  • New Year’s Eve: December 31. 2025

Key Payroll and Compliance Information

  • December 1, 2025: Distribute 401(k) Safe Harbor, Qualified Default Investment Alternative (QDIA), and automatic enrollment notices
  • December 16, 2025: Q4 2025 Estimated Tax Payments due
  • December 31, 2025: Complete nondiscrimination testing, 401K plans, 125 Premium Only Plans, and FSA nondiscrimination testing (if on calendar plan year)

Employee Engagement Ideas

  • Holiday Celebrations: Be mindful that different people celebrate different things throughout December. Hosting holiday parties and virtual celebrations can be a great way to connect with and show appreciation for your employees!  
  • National Ugly Sweater Day (December 19): Get into the holiday spirit with National Ugly Sweater Day. Try hosting an ugly sweater party or contest for the whole organization. The winner could receive a gift card, some holiday treats, or a special lunch!

Maximizing Your 2025 HR Calendar

Managing payroll calendars, compliance deadlines, and employee engagement can feel overwhelming without the right tools and processes in place. Verified First is here to support your organization’s unique needs and goals. With our integrated solutions, you can easily manage your hiring, compliance, and employee well-being initiatives saving you time to focus on more strategic goals. 

Ready to simplify your HR planning for 2025? Download the full HR calendar here:

About Verified First
Verified First is known for delivering streamlined background screening backed by the best client support, and for developing the easiest, fastest HR system integrations, for free. Our client support team is U.S.-based, answers calls in seconds, resulting in hundreds of positive testimonials and a 96% customer satisfaction. Verified First's patent-pending, award-winning integrations include over 100 applicant tracking systems, and provide clients a turn-key experience.

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