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- 🛠️ Building an Internal AI Use Policy
🛠️ Building an Internal AI Use Policy
Also: Mid-life career pivots, H-2B visas maxed out + HR Monday buzz...
Ahoy there, HR Pros! ✨ Tired of AI creating more “workslop” than work? With 38 states racing on AI laws, here’s how to craft policies that keep innovation flowing—legally & wisely.
On today’s agenda:
🚀 HCM game changers
🛂 H-2B visas maxed out
 | WEEKLY GOODY REMINDER |
THE HR SPOTLIGHT
🛠️ Building an Internal AI Use Policy (Without Slowing Innovation)
AI is redefining HR — from automating admin tasks to augmenting decision‑making — but without thoughtful guardrails, it can introduce bias, legal risk, and chaos. Balancing innovation with accountability requires intentional policy design that protects people while empowering progress.
🤔 The Situation: Rapid Adoption + Risk - Many organizations are racing ahead with AI tools, yet few have formal policies, leading to patchwork practices and exposure. A recent report shows a wide adoption gap: 80% of HR teams use AI but only about 23% have structured guidelines in place — a disconnect that weak policies can’t manage.
At the same time, regulators and courts are paying more attention to AI ethics, transparency, and accountability, meaning workplace AI decision‑making without clear guardrails is riskier than ever.
✅ What HR Can Do: Practical Policy Steps
Define what counts as AI in your org and which tools are approved or prohibited.
Set clear use expectations — what AI can do (e.g., draft templates) and what it shouldn’t (e.g., handle sensitive data).
Include human oversight requirements so final decisions remain with people, not algorithms.
Explain data privacy rules to guard employee and company information.
Train and communicate regularly so teams know how and why they should use AI.
With policies anchored in ethical and legal basics — and reviewed regularly — HR can guide innovation rather than inhibit it.
TOGETHER WITH OPKEY
🚀 How New AI Models are Changing the Game for HCM Implementations
Want to sound smart in a room full of engineers? Learn this phrase: “inference accuracy.” In simple terms, it’s how well an AI model actually works.
Behind the magic, AI is just math. When a model has high inference accuracy, it means it gets the math right—consistently. And when the math works, you get that feeling you had the first time you used ChatGPT:
It understands you
It gives useful answers
It feels like a partner, not a guessing machine
Now here’s where it gets interesting. Tech startup Opkey built a new AI model from scratch with extremely high inference accuracy—but it’s not trying to write poems or plan your workouts. Instead, it specializes in:
Running HCM systems
Supporting core business apps
Guiding Oracle and Workday implementations
Think of it this way: ChatGPT writes your essay in seconds, while Opkey helps you discover, design, and configure HCM modules in a fraction of the time and cost. Organizations are using it to cut implementation timelines in half and eliminate much of the manual slog. Different use case. Same disruption energy.
When inference accuracy is high, AI doesn’t just respond—it delivers.
TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🕵️ Is AI Helping or Hijacking? — Audit one AI tool with your team this week—spot tasks it replaces vs. enhances and flag anything slowing innovation.
FLASH VOTE
Which section do you like most? |
THE HR PULSE
☕ Starbucks Labor Fight Hits Boards — Reuters
What’s unfolding: A group of investors is pushing Starbucks shareholders to vote against two directors over how the company has handled labor relations.
Why it matters: Pay attention to how labor strategy affects reputation and governance; fair labor practices and strong employee relations can influence both internal culture and external investor confidence.
🧠 Wellbeing = Performance? — HR Grapevine
What’s unfolding: UK business leaders warn that poor employee wellbeing is draining energy and hurting productivity, and companies can’t afford to ignore it in a low-growth economy.
Why it matters: Treat wellbeing as a strategic priority, not a perk, by improving job design and psychological safety to keep talent engaged and performance on track.
⏱️ Workweek Rewritten — Fortune
What’s unfolding: Dutch workers average about 32 hours per week while maintaining productivity, a model that emerged as women entered the workforce and reshaped work patterns.
Why it matters: HR leaders can re-think rigid schedules in the U.S., exploring flexibility as a retention and productivity tool rather than sticking strictly to traditional 40-hour norms.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP
 | Reward Gateway |
 | AI HR |
COMPLIANCE CORNER
⚖️ Gap Hit With Harassment Suit — HCA Mag
What’s unfolding: A contractor is suing Gap, alleging HR failed to act on a sexual harassment complaint, raising questions about how third-party worker complaints are handled.
HR implications: Ensure complaint processes cover contractors and contingent workers, with clear documentation and timely investigations to reduce legal and reputational risk.
🚛 CDL Rule Tightens for Non-Citizens — Jackson Lewis
What’s unfolding: A new FMCSA rule increases scrutiny on non-citizen commercial driver’s licenses, adding compliance burdens for carriers.
HR implications: Transportation employers should audit driver eligibility and documentation immediately to prevent operational disruptions and regulatory penalties.
🛂 H-2B Visa Cap Reached Early — Business Standard
What’s unfolding: The first FY2026 H-2B visa allocation cap has already been reached, leaving many applicants ineligible.
HR implications: Employers relying on seasonal foreign labor should reassess workforce plans now, explore alternative visa strategies, and prepare for tighter labor supply.
UPCOMING EVENTS
 | Feb 25, Virtual - Gartner |
 | Feb 25, Virtual - HR Morning |
HR TREND WATCH
🌀 Mid-Life Career Pivot: The New Normal
Digesting the data: More U.S. professionals in their 30s and 40s are choosing to change careers rather than stay on a traditional linear path, reflecting a broader shift in how people think about work and purpose. A growing number of workers are redefining success on their own terms, seeking roles that better align with their values, autonomy and long-term satisfaction.
This trend highlights that career longevity no longer means sticking with one employer or field for decades, but rather evolving through multiple roles over a lifetime — often blending skills in new ways.
Outlook for HR: For HR leaders, this means retention strategies can’t rely solely on pay or perks; they must address career fulfillment and flexibility. Workforces now expect opportunities for meaningful transition, skill development and internal mobility. HR teams should build structured support for mid-career moves, such as coaching, cross-training and phased roles, to keep experienced talent engaged and reduce turnover.
BREAKROOM
SMART READS
📱 How to Use Social Media for Recruitment
🏦 Digital Wallets: The Future of Payroll
🌍 Main Types of Diversity in the Workplace
—Created with care by Vivienne Ravana
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