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Hiring

Financial considerations when hiring employees or contractors

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7 min read

Pay Transparency Laws in 2026: A State-by-State Guide for Small Businesses

As of 2026, roughly 20 states plus Washington D.C. require salary-range disclosure in job postings, and the laws apply based on where a remote job could be performed — not where the employer is based. Employee-count thresholds range from 1 to 50+, and penalties run from $250 per violation in Illinois to $25,000 in Massachusetts. Here is what small businesses must disclose, how to handle "Remote — US" listings, and a six-step compliance checklist.

Mike Thrift

small-businesscompliancepayroll
8 min read

Colorado Rewrote Its AI Hiring Law: What Employers Must Do Before January 1, 2027

Colorado repealed SB 24-205 and replaced it with SB 26-189, which regulates automated decision-making technology (ADMT) in hiring starting January 1, 2027. Employers over 40 employees must give pre-use notice, provide a 30-day adverse-action explanation with human review, and retain records for three years — enforced only by the Attorney General, with penalties up to $20,000 per violation.

Mike Thrift

aihiringcompliance
7 min read

Pay Transparency Laws Reach 20 Jurisdictions in 2026: A Remote Hiring Compliance Guide

Virginia's pay transparency law took effect July 1, 2026, and Maine's LD 54 follows on July 29, bringing active U.S. pay transparency jurisdictions to 20. Because the rules attach to where a remote candidate could work — not where your company is headquartered — a remote posting without a good-faith salary range can violate laws in states where you have no office. Here's what changed, why remote postings trigger multi-state obligations, and a practical compliance checklist.

Mike Thrift

compliancehiringremote-work
8 min read

New Jersey's ABC Test: What the Final Independent Contractor Rule Means Before October 1, 2026

New Jersey's finalized ABC test regulations take effect October 1, 2026. Here's what each of the three prongs requires, what changed in the NJDOL's final rule, the penalties for misclassification — up to $1,000 per worker, 200% liquidated damages, and stop-work orders — and how to audit your 1099 contractor relationships before enforcement begins.

Mike Thrift

independent-contractorcompliancepayroll
8 min read

DHS Just Ended "Duration of Status" for F-1 and J-1 Visas: What Small Employers Need to Track Before September 15, 2026

DHS's final rule effective September 15, 2026 replaces open-ended "duration of status" with a fixed I-94 Admit Until Date for F-1, J-1, and I nonimmigrants — up to 4 years plus a shortened 30-day grace period. Small employers with OPT, STEM OPT, or J-1 workers must now calendar expiration dates, file Form I-539 extensions before the deadline, and budget for recurring compliance costs.

Mike Thrift

immigrationcompliancesmall-business
6 min read

The EEOC's New National Enforcement Plan: What It Means for Small Businesses in 2026

On June 4, 2026, the EEOC adopted a National Enforcement Plan for FY2025–2029 that shelves disparate-impact claims, targets DEI programs with quotas or identity-based preferences, and keeps retaliation a standalone priority. Here's what shifted, why enforcement priorities change small-employer risk even without new law, and five documentation and policy steps to take now.

Mike Thrift

small-businesscompliancelegal
8 min read

FMCSA English Language Proficiency Is Now an Out-of-Service Trigger: A Compliance Guide for Small Fleets

Since June 2025, failing the FMCSA English proficiency requirement (49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2)) places a commercial driver out of service — over 12,000 violations in six months, made mandatory by federal law in February 2026. Here is how the two-step roadside test works, what an OOS order costs a small fleet, and how to document ELP compliance in the driver qualification file.

Mike Thrift

truckingcompliancesmall-business
8 min read

Indiana Repealed Its Youth Employment System: What HB 1302 Means for Employers Who Hire Teens

On July 1, 2026, Indiana's HB 1302 decommissioned the Youth Employment System (YES) database, ending registration and self-reporting for employers with five or more minor employees — but hour caps for 14- and 15-year-olds, hazardous occupation bans, federal FLSA rules, and escalating state penalties all remain in force, making internal recordkeeping the employer's sole audit trail.

Mike Thrift

compliancepayrollhiring
8 min read

How Small Businesses Can Tap the DOL's $162 Million Apprenticeship Funding in 2026

On July 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $162 million to five industry sponsors that pass apprenticeship incentive payments directly to employers — including small businesses in maritime, AI infrastructure, telecom, IT, and auto repair. Here's who qualifies, how to join a group sponsor, which state tax credits stack on top, and how to book the payments correctly.

Mike Thrift

small-businessgrantsfunding
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