The HRTech Wire · tag
Every HR-technology story tagged #employment regulation.
Massachusetts has updated its paid family and medical leave contribution rules under Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2026, taking effect January 1, 2027. The change reallocates employer contributions between family and medical leave buckets — partly in response to IRS guidance on PFML benefit taxation — requiring payroll teams at employers with 25 or more covered individuals to apply revised withholding rates to wages earned from that date.
The EEOC has shifted its enforcement focus under the current administration toward anti-American national origin bias rather than discrimination against immigrants, according to HR Dive — a directional change HR and compliance leaders will need to factor into workplace policy and hiring practices.
The EEOC is moving to rescind its 2012 guidance on the use of conviction and arrest records in hiring decisions, according to HR Dive — though at least one employment attorney cautions employers against changing their screening practices in response.
WorkTech's George LaRocque flags that a shifted compliance deadline hasn't halted related litigation, signaling that HR-tech buyers and employers face ongoing legal exposure even when regulatory timelines are extended.
The EEOC is pursuing investigations targeting transgender workplace protections — including pronoun use and single-sex spaces — signaling a policy shift that HR leaders must factor into DEI compliance strategies, according to HR Dive.
Maryland has moved to address AI bias in hiring, but according to quasa.io, regulatory guidance implementing the measure remains pending, leaving employers and HR-tech vendors uncertain about compliance requirements.
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Keith Sonderling as Secretary of Labor, according to Business Wire — a leadership change at the department that oversees wage, AI, and employment regulations with direct implications for HR-tech compliance and workforce policy. The ESOP Association publicly backed his confirmation.
Maryland has opened employer registration for its FAMLI paid leave program, with payroll contributions of 0.9% of wages starting January 1, 2027 — a compliance deadline HR and payroll teams in the state need to track, particularly as employers weighing private plan equivalents must file a Declaration of Intent by November 15, 2026.
Proposed legislation in Pennsylvania and New York would require employers to disclose hiring timelines and remove filled job postings, while the Texas attorney general is reportedly investigating LinkedIn over allegedly profiting from fake job ads — putting "ghost job" posting practices under legal scrutiny that recruiting and ATS teams should monitor. Research from Clarify Capital and Greenhouse suggests roughly 20–25% of active job listings may not reflect genuine, near-term hiring intent, with some employers using AI to automate postings for inactive roles.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has reportedly proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period for H-1B visa holders after job loss, a change that would remove the buffer window workers currently have to find new employment or depart the country. The proposal carries direct compliance implications for HR and global mobility teams managing foreign national workforces.
Connecticut's Public Act 26-12, taking effect October 1, 2026, will require employers with 100 or more workers to publish a multilingual guide explaining overtime and pay-differential codes — such as shift, hazard, and holiday pay — and to surface the guide's web address on employee hour records. The mandate carries payroll compliance implications for HR and payroll platform vendors serving Connecticut-based clients.
The UK's Financial Conduct Authority updated its Code of Conduct effective 1 September, reclassifying serious bullying, harassment, and violence at financial services firms as potential regulatory conduct breaches rather than purely internal HR matters, creating new compliance obligations for HR leaders in the sector.
Virginia's Wage Transparency Act, which took effect July 1, 2026, requires all employers — regardless of size — to include a good-faith pay range in every public and internal job posting, ban salary history inquiries, and gives applicants a private right of action; Maine's similar law followed on July 29, according to HiringThing, which notes the private right of action in Virginia is the provision most likely to be replicated in future state legislation.
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