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  • 🌊 5 Key Regulatory Updates, Knowledge Transfer Plan, Ill-Prepared Employers - Oct 6, 2025

🌊 5 Key Regulatory Updates, Knowledge Transfer Plan, Ill-Prepared Employers - Oct 6, 2025

How to ride the October compliance wave, your knowledge transfer template, ill-prepared employers caught off-guard, and a bunch more updates...

October 06, 2025

Hello, Workplace Whisperers! 😀 October’s bringing more than cool breezes — new regs are rolling in too. Stay sharp this National Cybersecurity Awareness Month with updates to keep your HR playbook compliant and secure.

On today’s agenda:

🌊 5 key regulatory updates

😬 Ill-prepared employers

🌟 Review of Cezanne HR

WEEKLY GOODY
Employee Training Plan
In case you missed last week’s HR goody — power up performance with an actionable roadmap.
Only available for download to subscribers.

THE HR SPOTLIGHT

🔐 5 Regulatory Updates Ahead: Riding the Compliance Wave

Surf’s up! Here’s your mid-month HR check — rising regulatory waves you’ll want to anticipate before they hit.

🌐 The situation (aka why you should care):

  1. FTC noncompete ban (proposed / pending legal challenges): The FTC is pushing a near-total ban on noncompete clauses, which could upend how many HR teams craft post-employment agreements.

  2. “No tax on tips” & overtime shifts via One Big Beautiful Bill Act: New IRS proposed regs now allows eligible tipped workers to deduct “qualified tips” (retroactive to 2025) — and the bill also tweaks overtime rules.

  3. State pay transparency mandates expanding: In 2025, multiple states (e.g. Massachusetts) now require job postings to include pay ranges details.

  4. EEOC shift on DEI policies: The EEOC has warned some DEI practices may violate federal discrimination laws, signaling that certain training or affinity group programs could be risky. 

  5. NLRB and state jurisdiction tug-of-war: New York recently passed a law allowing its PERB to act in place of the NLRB for private-sector claims when the NLRB is stagnant; the NLRB is suing.

✅ Your action plan:

  • Revisit noncompete clauses now

  • Audit payroll & tax systems

  • Update recruiting templates

  • Review DEI programs through a legal lens

  • Monitor NLRB developments & local laws.

Compliance waves don’t drown good HR — they make savvy HR more powerful. 

TOGETHER WITH ISPRING

🧠 A Step-By-Step Guide to Knowledge Transfer 

Whether you’re a multinational conglomerate or a startup, an efficient knowledge transfer system will significantly benefit your organization, driving business results.  

For your knowledge transfer plan to be a success, we’ve created a template that’s available in Word, Excel, and PDF formats. Download and customize the template by filling it with your specifics — what needs to be done, who needs to be involved and why, what resources are needed, and more.

TODAY’S CULTURE CUE
🧭 Stay Ahead of the Rule Curve - Set a monthly 15-minute “Reg Rundown” with your team. Review new labor laws, compliance shifts, or EEOC updates together—stay informed and risk-proof.

THE HR PULSE

🛑 Shutdown Blindspot - Reuters

  • What’s unfolding: The U.S. government shutdown has halted the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report, making September’s hiring data temporarily unavailable.

  • Why it matters: HR professionals now lack critical economic indicators during a volatile period, making workforce planning harder and forcing reliance on private data or internal signals to guide hiring and budget decisions.

đŸ€– Cautious Hiring After AI - ComputerWorld

  • What’s unfolding: In September, private U.S. employers shed ~32,000 jobs, while also dragging their feet on new hiring — part of a cautious reshuffle as AI redefines work.

  • Why it matters: HR leaders must reassess staffing strategies, weigh automation’s role, and lean harder into reskilling rather than reactive layoffs to stay competitive and humane.

⚠ Jobs on the Chopping Block - HR Dive

  • What’s unfolding: SHRM reports that about 15 of U.S. jobs—roughly 23 million—face elevated risk from automation, though most will transform, not disappear.

  • Why it matters: HR must anticipate job evolution, double down on upskilling programs, and prepare managers to lead employees through the “how to work with AI” transition, not fight it.

RESOURCE ROUNDUP

Reworked x Hubstaff
The Lean Advantage: Scale Smarter, Not Heavier
Download the playbook to learn how to grow lean, fast and with less friction.
Grab this playbook »

HR Morning
Reducing Ergonomic Injuries
Learn strategies to prevent workplace injuries and eliminate potential hazards.
Download the guide »

Deel
Global Mandatory Benefits Policy Template
A customizable template to help you comply with all local labor laws wherever you hire.
See details »

COMPLIANCE CORNER

âœĄïž Sabbath Standoff — EEOC Sues Apple - HR Grapevine

  • What’s unfolding: The EEOC filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming the company denied a Jewish employee’s request for Sabbath accommodation and then fired him in retaliation.

  • HR implications: HR must recheck religious accommodation policies and response protocols now—denying sincerely held religious practices can trigger Title VII risk.

⏱ Overtime Tightrope — DOL Updates Pay Rules - HR Dive

  • What’s unfolding: The Department of Labor issued opinion letters clarifying that workers at “operationally integrated” businesses must have their hours combined for overtime.

  • HR implications: Payroll teams must revisit wage models to ensure there are no misclassification or excluded premium pay. Adjust systems before audits catch mistakes.

đŸ·ïž Franchisors May Escape Joint-Employer Risk - Mondaq

  • What’s unfolding: The proposed American Franchise Act would narrow the joint-employer standard to only when a franchisor exerts direct, immediate control over core employment terms.

  • HR implications: Franchise systems may see reduced liability under labor and wage-hour law, but HR teams must revisit contracts, operating manuals, and oversight practicess.

TREND WATCH

😬 Ill-Prepared Employers Caught Off-Guard by Labor Tactics

Source: Littler 2025 Labor Survey Report

Digesting the data: Recent findings suggest many U.S. employers are surprisingly ill-prepared to face more agile, modern labor strategies unfolding across industries. Organizations are struggling to respond when workers push new fronts—whether it’s coordinated activism, alternative bargaining models, or creative use of social media to spotlight workplace issues. The upshot: many HR departments are reacting rather than proactively steering.

Outlook for HR: For HR leaders, this isn’t just a warning — it’s a call to evolve. Expect labor pressure to show up in unexpected forms: viral campaigns, “stay-at-home day” protests, or organizing efforts that bypass traditional union channels. Sharpen your listening systems, upgrade feedback loops, and anticipate not just formal complaints, but social ones.

The future of labor isn’t scripted—and neither should your HR posture be.

UPCOMING EVENTS

On-demand, Virtual - Deel
H-1B: Planning for the Changes
A break down of what’s known, what’s still unknown, and how you can begin to prepare.
Watch the webinar »

Oct 12, In-Person (Forth Worth, TX) - HRSouthwest
The 2025 HRSouthwest Conference
Network, grow, and discover the latest HR products and services.
Register for the event »

Oct 27-29, In-Person (Orlando, FL) - Gartner
Gartner HR Symposium
Discover HR topics and emerging trends around the HR landscape.
Sign up »

HR TECH WATCH

🌟 A Review of Cezanne HR: Your All-in-One People Platform

Why we selected it: A modular, globally capable HRIS beloved by mid-sized orgs, Cezanne HR is winning fans for its configurability, cloud design, and hands-on support.

Key features:

  1. People Management Core — central hub for employee records, org charts, and HR workflows

  2. Recruitment & Onboarding — configurable pipelines, offer letters, and seamless lifecycle transitions

  3. Performance, Compensation & Succession — goal tracking, pay planning, career paths

  4. Global & Compliance Tools — multilingual, multi-company support with audit trails, GDPR, document workflows

Pros:

  • Advanced set-up - Highly configurable to your HR processes

  • Reliable support - Strong support (implementation is included)

  • Transparent price - Predictable pricing with no hidden add-ons

  • Easy updates - Cloud architecture with automatic updates

  • Wide coverage - Robust global / multi-country support

  • Online security - Secure by design (ISO27001, encryption, audit logs)

Cons:

  • Uneven coverage - Payroll module is limited (focuses more on payroll in UK)

  • Less local support - U.S. market presence is smaller, so local support / features may lag

  • Complex customization - Some advanced features or integrations might require customization

HRAddict rating: ★★★★☆ 4.5
Cezanne HR offers a clean, flexible HR system that scales across borders and adapts as your organization grows.

This is an independent review using aggregated insights and publicly available data.

BREAKROOM

SMART READS

đŸŒ± Promoting Sustainability in the Workplace

đŸ€ Employer of Record: Benefits & Examples

🧑‍🎓 Guide to Recruiting an Intern

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