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Central NM SHRM Newsletter: August 2026
Thanks for Joining Us!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for two great events in August!
At our Breakfast on Difficult Conversations in the Workplace, we dug into how conflict actually builds inside organizations — walking through the communication continuum and the spheres where tension tends to take root. Attendees practiced reading different communication styles and left with frameworks they can use immediately: Intent-Action-Effect, Intention Check, and shifting from Positions to Interests in tough conversations. We also tackled the dynamics nobody loves talking about — office gossip, triangulation, passive-aggressive behavior, and the flat-out difficult non-team-player — with practical coaching tools and boundary-setting strategies leaders can put to work right away.
Then we went virtual for Labor Market Insights, where economists and researchers from Indeed Hiring Lab showed us what real-time labor market data can do that lagging government reports can't. Drawing on millions of job postings, resumes, and job seeker behaviors, the session connected national hiring trends to what's actually happening here in New Mexico, giving HR and talent leaders a sharper, faster way to think about hiring, compensation, and workforce planning.
It was a full month of practical, immediately useful learning. Want to go deeper on either topic? Check out our website for additional resources — and if you missed either session, keep an eye out for the next one.
Mark Your Calendars!
September 15, 2026
8:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Add to Calendar
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 12th St NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Venue website
Directions
Our next Breakfast is coming up fast, and it couldn't be timelier. On September 15, keynote speaker and Three Ears Media founder Kat Kibben joins us to unpack The Bounce Back Factor, a practical framework for helping teams navigate constant disruption without sliding into survival mode.
Kat will walk HR and talent leaders through EQ-based leadership tools for stabilizing teams during uncertainty, building the kind of psychological safety that keeps new ideas alive instead of shutting them down, and spotting the early signs of burnout before they take hold. You'll leave with concrete ways to shift your team from urgency-driven firefighting to sustainable, purpose-driven work, and to lead with confidence even when the roadmap isn't fully written yet.
With 15+ years working with organizations like Zoom, Monster.com, and Olly Vitamins, Kat brings real-world experience, not just theory, to a topic every HR leader is navigating right now.
Welcome New & Renewing Members
You are connected with a vast network of HR professionals, exclusive events, and resources to help you advance your career by combining Central NM SHRM and SHRM national membership.
Legal Updates
Albuquerque Adopts Phased Increase to $15 Minimum Wage
In case you missed it: Albuquerque's minimum wage is headed to $15 in phases, with the first bump landing January 1, 2027. Here's the refresher on what that means for your organization.
The Albuquerque City Council recently approved an ordinance gradually increasing the city’s minimum wage to $15.00 per hour. The first increase takes effect January 1, 2027.
The minimum wage for employees working within Albuquerque will increase as follows:
• $13.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2027;
• $14.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2028; and
• $15.00 per hour beginning January 1, 2029.
Beginning January 1, 2030, the rate will be adjusted annually based on increases in the Consumer Price Index. The rate will be rounded to the nearest five cents and cannot decrease.
Which Employees Are Covered?
The ordinance generally covers employees who perform at least two hours of work during a particular week within Albuquerque’s municipal limits. It applies to full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees, subject to certain statutory exclusions.
Coverage depends primarily on where the work is performed—not where the employee lives or where the employer maintains its principal office. Employers with employees who travel between locations, make deliveries, perform field services, or work at customer locations should determine whether those employees perform at least two hours of work within Albuquerque during a week.
Credit for Certain Benefits
The ordinance retains a limited credit for health care and/or childcare benefits. If an employer provides qualifying benefits and pays an amount equal to or exceeding an annualized cost of $2,500 for an employee, it may pay that employee $1.00 less than the otherwise applicable Albuquerque minimum wage.
Assuming New Mexico’s statewide minimum wage remains $12.00 per hour, the resulting rates would be $12.00 in 2027, $13.00 in 2028, and $14.00 in 2029. Employers relying on this credit should document the benefits provided and the employer’s annualized cost.
Tipped Employees
The ordinance also changes the minimum cash wage for tipped employees. The required cash wage will equal:
• 55.5% of the Albuquerque minimum wage in 2027;
• 52% in 2028; and
• 50% in 2029 and thereafter.
Because the 2027 formula produces an amount containing a fraction of a cent, employers should await the City’s official 2027 notice or guidance before determining the precise rate.
An employer may take a tip credit only after notifying the employee in writing and must be able to establish that the employee’s cash wages and tips equal or exceed the full Albuquerque minimum wage. The employer must also obtain a signed tip declaration for each pay period in which it uses tips to satisfy its minimum-wage obligation.
Preparing for the Increase
Before January 1, 2027, employers should:
1. Identify employees who perform work within Albuquerque.
2. Review hourly rates and budget for the scheduled increases.
3. Confirm whether any employees qualify for the benefit credit.
4. Review tip-credit notices, declarations, and payroll practices.
5. Consider whether the increases will create wage compression.
6. Post the City’s updated English- and Spanish-language notices when available.
Employers must retain payroll records showing employees’ daily hours and wages for three years. An employee who is underpaid may recover the unpaid wages, interest, an additional amount equal to twice the unpaid wages, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees. The ordinance also prohibits retaliation.
The principal takeaway is that the $15.00 minimum wage will not arrive all at once. Nevertheless, Albuquerque employers should begin preparing now for the first increase to $13.00 per hour on January 1, 2027.
Questions or Ideas for Future Articles?
If you have questions about the new Albuquerque minimum wage ordinance, wage and hour laws, or other HR compliance issues—or if there are topics you'd like covered in future SHRM Central New Mexico newsletters—please feel free to contact me at (505) 797-4889 or [email protected].
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We're excited to have you join our Central NM SHRM community of HR professionals, where you'll find opportunities to grow, connect, and make an impact.
