Hiring compliance · Fall 2026
The hiring rules changed this fall. Here’s what to do about it.
Federal contractor rules were rewritten, state AI laws have start dates, and apply bots are testing your application flow. Leah Daniels walks through what changed and the six moves to make before year-end.
Between August 21 and October 26, federal regulators ended the CC-305 disability invitation and rescinded the Internet Applicant definition. Connecticut’s AI law began October 1. California and Colorado automated-decision rules apply January 1. Every one of these changes puts a duty on the hiring side, and none of them put a comparable duty on candidates.
Leah Daniels, JobSync’s Chief Commercial Officer, put the changes, the dates, and the action steps into one 21-slide deck. It’s built for you to work from and share with your legal, HR, and RPO partners.
What’s inside
- CC-305 is gone. Veteran self-ID stays. What federal contractors remove, what they keep, and how to change your ATS workflows without breaking VEVRAA.
- Who counts as an applicant is now your call. The Internet Applicant rule ended October 26. Five steps to take this quarter.
- Notice is the common thread. Connecticut, Colorado, and California automated-decision rules side by side, including what counts as a covered tool and who enforces.
- Apply bots are finishing whole applications. How bot blocking can screen out blind applicants, and how to flag patterns without rating people.
- Sample AI disclosure language. Wording for your use of AI, the candidate’s use of AI, and when AI use can disqualify, ready to take to counsel.
- Pay transparency. The 14 states and DC that require ranges in job ads, the 18 states and DC that bar salary history questions, and what makes a range defensible.
- WOTC status. The credit has lapsed and Congress hasn’t acted. What to keep doing in the meantime.
- The calendar. Four dates behind us and four ahead, through October 1, 2027.
Who it’s for
Talent acquisition, HR, and compliance leaders at employers that hire at volume, and the teams who manage RPO and agency partners. The deck includes the questions to put to your RPO in writing.