SHRM Inland Empire January News & Events - 2026

Message from SHRM Inland Empire President

The start of a new year often brings energy, ambition, and full calendars. For many of us in Human Resources, January can feel like a sprint before the year has even found its rhythm. New initiatives launch, priorities stack quickly, and the pace can escalate almost overnight.

As we step into 2026 together, I want to offer a simple invitation: be intentional not only about what you accomplish this year, but about how you sustain yourself while doing it.

Over the past year, I was personally challenged to sharpen my adaptability and perseverance. Change has a way of stretching us — sometimes unexpectedly — and reminding us that growth rarely happens in perfectly controlled conditions. What carried me through that season was community: mentors who listened, peers who offered perspective, and colleagues who showed up with generosity and honesty. It reinforced something I believe deeply — we are better leaders, professionals, and humans when we do not navigate complexity alone.

As HR professionals, we often hold space for others. We guide organizations through change, support employees through uncertainty, and carry responsibility that isn’t always visible. In doing so, balance can quietly slip to the margins. My hope for this year is that we collectively reclaim balance not as a luxury, but as a leadership discipline — one that protects our clarity, our compassion, and our long-term effectiveness.

That spirit of growth and care is reflected in our upcoming programs this month. On Thursday, January 15th, we’ll gather for “Thriving Through Change: HR Strategies for Growth and Resilience” at the Riverside Chamber of Commerce — a session focused on navigating change with clarity, confidence, and a growth mindset. And on Sunday, January 18th, we’ll host “Mindfulness, Breathing, and Intention Setting Yoga” at the Riverside Community Yoga Center, supporting the SHRM Foundation while investing in our own well-being through breathwork, intention, and gentle movement. Whether you’re seeking professional insight, personal restoration, or simply meaningful connection, I encourage you to join us.

Inland Empire SHRM exists not just as a professional resource, but as a community of people who care about one another and about the impact we create in our workplaces and region. Whether you engage through programs, mentorship, volunteering, or conversations in between, your presence matters. The relationships we build here shape more than our careers — they shape how we lead and how we serve.

Thank you for the commitment, care, and heart you bring into this profession. I look forward to another year of learning, connection, and purposeful growth together.

Michael Macias
President, Inland Empire SHRM

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Upcoming Events

Riverside Chamber of Commerce | 3985 University Ave., Riverside, CA 92501

When change happens—whether through new leadership, evolving goals, or shifting roles—people need support to move through it in a healthy and productive way.

In this engaging and practical session, participants will explore common reactions to change, learn how to manage uncertainty, and walk away with strategies that help them stay grounded and focused. Whether someone has been with the organization for thirty years or three, everyone will benefit from tools that foster personal resilience, openness to learning, and stronger team cohesion.

Participants will learn how to:

• Apply the principles of a growth mindset to reframe challenges as opportunities for learning and growth

• Understand how change affects individuals and teams across different stages of transition

• Recognize the emotional and cognitive impacts of change and respond with awareness

• Apply practical strategies to strengthen personal resilience in the face of uncertainty

Schedule of Events 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM | Program Presentation

Who Should Attend: HR professionals, business leaders, team managers, and anyone navigating organizational change or supporting employee engagement initiatives.

HRCI/SHRM Recertification Credits: This event is approved for (1) HRCI and (1) SHRM recertification credit.

Instructor:

Sabine Gedeon is a transformational speaker and
executive advisor who helps leaders and entrepreneurs
realign how they lead, grow, and succeed from the inside
out. With nearly 20 years in corporate HR, executive
leadership, and coaching, she bridges identity, influence,
and performance to create meaningful, sustainable
growth. Her programs and keynotes blend emotional
intelligence with actionable strategy, helping audiences
move from high-functioning survival to intentional,
impactful leadership.

Register Now

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IE SHRM Foundation Wellness

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Welcome New Members

A warm welcome to the newest members of our SHRM Inland Empire community! We’re excited to have you join us and look forward to the energy, insights, and perspectives you bring. Your contributions will help strengthen our mission as we continue to grow together in 2026.

Brenda Murillo, Hot Topic
Andie Covarrubia, Columbia Packaging Group
Andrew Boyd, Claybourne Co.
Keith Gruber, RSVC
Joel Wunderly, Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire
Marion Cronin, Phenix Technology, Inc.
Edgar Torres-Anguiano, TEC Equipment

Thank you for joining us! We look forward to growing together through shared learning, leadership, and connection.

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SHRM News

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the true test of a leader isn’t a title or corner office. It’s leading through tough situations and things go sideways. 

That’s why my recent conversation on All Business with Johnny C. Taylor Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, matters so much right now. Johnny is one of the most influential voices shaping how work actually gets done in this country, and when the pressure is on, he doesn’t shy away from it. 

The last time Johnny and I talked; it was the early days of COVID. No playbook. No certainty. Fear everywhere. HR teams stepped up and rewrote how work happened almost overnight, and they didn’t get nearly enough credit for it. Johnny and his team at SHRM helped guide millions of leaders through that chaos, and frankly, many businesses would’ve been dead in the water without it. 

Fast forward to today, and Johnny is leading through another firestorm this time with SHRM itself under intense scrutiny. And what struck me most wasn’t the controversy, but how he’s led through it. 

Leadership Isn’t About Avoiding the Hit, It’s About Taking It 

When the verdict hit against SHRM, Johnny didn’t sugarcoat how it felt. He talked openly about getting that call, the knot in his stomach, the weight of what it meant not just for him, but for the HR profession and the people SHRM represents. 

That’s leadership. And to some degree, we’ve all had those moments that shake us to our core. 

Too many executives pretend they don’t feel it. News flash: your people know when you’re faking it. What they’re watching for is whether you show up anyway (and how you show up). 

Johnny shared a lesson he learned directly from President George W. Bush after 9/11: project calm. Not false confidence. Not spin. Calm rooted in conviction. 

That’s what leaders are paid to do. 

Values Don’t Get Written During a Crisis 

One of the most important takeaways from this conversation was simple: you don’t invent your values when trouble hits. You either have them, or you don’t. 

Johnny talked about SHRM’s guiding principles and how they were established long before this moment. Integrity. Clarity. Conviction. And a culture where people are expected to challenge leadership, make decisions based on data, and then commit. 

That matters. 

Because when values are real — not framed posters on the wall — they become an anchor. They steady the culture when rumors fly, when fear creeps in, and when people start questioning what’s next. 

HR Isn’t a Partner to the Business, It Is the Business 

I’ll admit it: I’ve butted heads with HR plenty of times. Usually because I’m a Mack truck inside an organization. But here’s the truth Johnny made crystal clear — modern HR isn’t support staff anymore. 

In a knowledge-based economy, talent is the business. I concur with that statement – your people are your best asset.  

Every CEO’s decision starts and ends with people. Hiring. Culture. Succession. Skills. Retention. Even the CEO role itself is an HR decision. When companies fail to understand that they don’t just struggle with people problems, they lose competitively. 

Johnny put it best: your talent game is your business game. 

What Leaders Need to Prepare for Now 

Looking ahead, Johnny outlined three areas every CEO and CHRO should be focused on right now: 

1. Culture clarity. Not just “good culture,” but alignment. Skills don’t matter if values don’t match. 

2. Healthcare costs. This isn’t an HR issue; it’s a business threat that’s crushing margins and employees alike. 

3. Upskilling and reskilling. AI is coming fast, and pretending jobs won’t change is irresponsible leadership. 

The shelf-life of a job today is short. Stability is gone. Agility is a not so new requirement but essential, nonetheless. Leaders who can’t accept that reality are going to struggle and so will their people. 

The Bottom Line 

What I learned from Johnny C. Taylor Jr. is something I’ve believed in my entire career: when the heat is on, values are the only thing that holds. 

Markets change. Technology accelerates. Crises come whether you invite them or not. But leaders who are rooted in strong values, clear principles, and real accountability don’t flinch. They lead. 

That’s how business gets done. 

And that’s why conversations like this matter, right here on All Business. Watch the full conversation with Johnny on C-Suite TV.  

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SHRM Foundation Fundraising Event

Rock & Brews in Corona SHRM Foundation Fundraiser
January 16, 2026 | 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Rock & Brews | 3550 Grand Oaks, Corona, CA 92881
Venue website

Join us on the 3^rd Friday of every month to eat, drink, and do good! Inland Empire SHRM and Rock & Brews in Corona has partnered to host an ongoing fundraising initiative in support of the SHRM Foundation. Simply inform your server that you are part of the “FUN-draiser” on every 3^rd Friday of the month, at Rock & Brews in Corona for dine-in or takeout orders and Rock & Brews will donate 20% of your purchase to the SHRM Foundation. The SHRM Foundation is the 501(c)(3) philanthropic arm of the Society for Human Resource Management. The SHRM Foundation's mission is to mobilize the power of HR and activate the generosity of donors to lead positive social change impacting all things work. The Foundation is committed to elevating and empowering HR as a social force through innovative solutions to workplace inclusion challenges, programming designed to inspire and empower the next generation of HR leaders, and awarding scholarships and professional development grants to educate and develop students and HR professionals.

Why Support the SHRM Foundation?

The SHRM Foundation works tirelessly to address critical challenges facing the workplace, including skills gaps, veteran employment, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Your participation helps fund initiatives that support HR professionals and drive positive change in workplaces across the globe.

https://ieshrm.org/foundation

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Legal News

This past year, Governor Newsom signed new bills impacting leave rights and protections for California employees. The following summarizes the new leave-related employment laws that California employers should be aware of.

AB 406 (Workplace Protections for Victims of Violence): 

AB 406 expands upon AB 2499 (Schiavo, Chapter 967, Statutes of 2024), which provides leave for victims of qualifying acts of violence for specified reasons and requires employers to provide accommodations to victims of qualifying actions of violence (as reported in our previous Alert). Specifically, effective January 1, 2026, AB 406 adds Government Code section 12945.8(a)(4), which prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against an employee who is a victim or is a family member of a victim for taking time off work to attend any judicial proceedings related to that crime, including, any delinquency proceedings, a post-arrest release decision, plea, sentencing, postconviction release decision, or any proceeding where a right of that victim is an issue. For this section only, AB 406 creates a new definition of “victim” which includes being subjected to one of 14 different crimes enumerated by Government Code section 12945.8(j)(8)(c), including violent felonies and serious felonies as defined in the California Penal Code.

AB 406 also expands Labor Code section 246.5, part of the Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act (“Act”). The Act grants paid sick leave to California employees who are not covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement which expressly provides for the wages, hours, and working conditions of employees, and expressly provides for paid sick days or a paid leave of paid time off policy that permits the use of sick days for those employees. Effective October 1, 2025, the Act allows employees to use paid sick leave to attend judicial proceedings delineated in Government Code section 12945.8(a)(4) related to a qualifying act of violence.

Additionally, effective October 1, 2025, AB 406 restores specified Labor Code sections that were deleted by AB 2499 regarding leave rights and protections for employees who are victims of a qualifying act of violence, or who have a family member who is a victim of a qualifying act of violence, including Labor Code sections 230 and 231.1. These reinstated Labor Code sections only apply to alleged actions or inactions occurring on or before December 31, 2024, and do not apply to public school district employers. The bill clarifies that pending cases arising from employer violations of the above rights occurring on or before December 31, 2024, are still valid and within the jurisdiction of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (“DLSE”), the department responsible for enforcing the California Labor Code. AB 406 transfers jurisdiction to the California Civil Rights Department (“CRD”), the department enforcing the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”), for such cases arising from employer violations on or after January 1, 2025. The bill would keep the Labor Code sections in effect until January 1, 2035.

Employers will need to update their leave policies to allow qualifying victims and family members to take time off to attend judicial proceedings related to the crime. Additionally, the CRD will likely need to update its AB 2499 Notice provided in July 2025, which provided the reasons for which an employee could take leave related to a qualifying act of violence (as reported in our previous Alert).

AB 642 (Expansion of School Employee Catastrophic Leave to Charter Schools):

AB 642 was passed by the Governor on July 30, 2025, and took effect immediately. AB 642 amends section 44043.5 of the Education Code, governing catastrophic illness leave, and adds section 44043.6 to the Education Code. Current law authorizes the governing board of a school district or county office of education (“COE”) to establish a catastrophic leave program to permit employees of that school district or COE, if specified conditions are met, to donate eligible leave credits to an employee when that employee or a member of their family suffers from a catastrophic illness or injury. This bill extends the above-described authorization to the governing body of a charter school. Additionally, AB 642 authorizes the governing board or body of a school district, COE, or charter school to permit employees to donate eligible leave credits to an employee impacted by a state of emergency that has been proclaimed by the Governor. Passed as an urgency measure, AB 642 was implemented immediately to address the recent California fires.

SB 590 (Paid Family Leave Expansion for Designated Persons): 

Effective July 1, 2028, SB 590 expands employees’ eligibility to receive state Paid Family Leave (“PFL”) benefits to those who are taking time off work to care for a seriously ill “designated person.” SB 590 only applies to employers who pay into state disability insurance benefits for PFL. The law defines a “designated person” as “any care recipient related by blood or whose association with the individual is the equivalent of a family relationship.” An employee who wishes to receive PFL benefits from the Employment Development Department to care for a designated person will be required to identify the designated person, and under penalty of perjury attest to how they are either related by blood to the designated person or how their association with the designated person is the equivalent of a family relationship. This law follows in the footsteps of AB 1041 (2022), which added “designated person” to the list of individuals for whom an employee could take paid sick leave and leave under the California Family Rights Act.  

If you have any questions concerning this alert or how to implement the requirements, please contact the authors of this alert or your usual counsel.

Thank you to law clerk Heily Acicon for her extensive work in preparation of this Alert.

This AALRR publication is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in reaching a conclusion in a particular area of law. Applicability of the legal principles discussed may differ substantially in individual situations. Receipt of this or any other AALRR publication does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Firm is not responsible for inadvertent errors that may occur in the publishing process.

© 2025 Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo

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The HR Huddle

January 13, 2026  |  11:00 AM to 12:00 PM | Virtual (Zoom)
Add to Calendar

The HR Huddle series is a valuable resource for HR professionals, offering a monthly deep-dive into the latest legal updates, trends, and best practices in employment law. This collaboration with the legal experts of AALRR equips HR professionals and business leaders with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of the workplace, ensuring they stay ahead in a field that's constantly evolving. In this series, here insights and best practices on topics related to compliance, policy-making, and employee relations, these webinars are designed to strengthen the skills necessary for the dynamic and demanding world of human resources.

The HR Huddle Occurs Every 2nd Tuesday.

There is NO COST TO YOU!

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