Business & professional services
The rules now check how they are judged.
Staffing and recruitment firms, executive search, HR-tech and payroll providers, gig-work platforms and assessment companies, matching people to work under India’s new labour codes and, where AI screens candidates, under new AI rules. We build candidate and client journeys, compliant job and vacancy flows, payroll and worker apps for the 2026 rules, and AI screening that is audited and decided by people.
Where the rules biteMap of all forty-one industries
What is shifting
Four labour codes took effect, vacancy reporting went digital, and recruitment AI became high-risk in the EU and audited in New York. Each shift names what it demands, with a fact you can check.
It demandsContracts, payroll and worker journeys rebuilt around one set of definitions.
SignalThe Code on Wages, the Industrial Relations Code, the Code on Social Security and the OSH Code took effect on 21 November 2025, replacing 29 central labour laws.
It demandsJob-posting flows that report vacancies to career centres as the rules require.
SignalThe Social Security (Central) Rules of 8 May 2026 have private employers with 20 or more staff report vacancies at least 15 days before applications close.
It demandsScreening tools with documentation, bias testing and human decisions.
SignalAI used in recruitment is high-risk under Annex III of the EU AI Act; the Digital Omnibus of July 2026 set those duties to apply from 2 December 2027.
It demandsBias audits and candidate notices built into the product for US clients.
SignalNew York City’s Local Law 144 requires a bias audit in the year before an automated employment decision tool is used, plus candidate notices; enforced since 5 July 2023.
The rulebook
The four labour codes and their 2026 rules, contract-labour licensing, overseas recruitment, the data law and the AI rules for hiring, read for a staffing or HR business. Your counsel keeps sign-off.
Frameworks we build to
Frameworks we design and build to — not a claim of certification.
Shapes most of the work
Ministry of Labour and Employment
In force since 21 November 2025: appointment letters for every worker, equal pay and no sex discrimination in recruitment, fixed-term workers with equal benefits and gratuity after a year, and single registration and licensing.
We designOffer letters, contracts and onboarding are rebuilt on the codes’ terms, with the evidence kept.
Code on Wages, 2019 · IR Code, 2020 · Code on Social Security, 2020 · OSH Code, 2020 · in force 21 November 2025 Official text: The four labour codes
Ministry of Labour and Employment
Private establishments with 20 or more employees report vacancies to career centres at least 15 days before applications close; aggregators register gig and platform workers on the central portal in real time or daily.
We designJob-posting and onboarding flows report to the career centre and the portal as they happen, with an audit trail.
Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 · G.S.R. 344(E), 8 May 2026
Ministry of Labour and Employment
Contractors employing 50 or more contract workers need a licence, valid for five years, with a single all-India licence available for work in several states.
We designClient and worker portals show the licence and the deployment it covers.
OSH Code, 2020 · sections 45, 47 and 48 · labour ministry’s compliance handbook, February 2026 Official text: OSH Code, 2020 — contract labour licensing
Ministry of External Affairs (Protector General of Emigrants)
Recruiting Indian citizens for jobs abroad needs a registration certificate from the Protector General of Emigrants, applied for through eMigrate.
We designOverseas job flows show the agent’s registration and route candidates through eMigrate.
Emigration Act, 1983 · sections 11–13 Official text: Emigration Act, 1983 — overseas recruitment
Shapes most of the work
Ministry of Electronics and IT
CVs, assessments and background checks are personal data: collected for a stated purpose with consent, kept only while the purpose lasts and erased when it ends, from 13 May 2027.
We designConsent per purpose, retention timers and a candidate-facing way to withdraw.
DPDP Act, 2023 · DPDP Rules, 2025 (core obligations from 13 May 2027) Official text: DPDP Act, 2023 — candidate data
Shapes most of the work
European Union
AI used to target job ads, filter applications or evaluate candidates is high-risk (Annex III, point 4) from 2 December 2027; inferring emotions at work has been banned since 2 February 2025.
We designScreening tools ship with documentation, bias tests, human review and logs, and never analyse emotions in interviews.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 · Article 5(1)(f) and Annex III, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 Official text: EU AI Act — AI in recruitment
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
Employers and employment agencies may not use an automated employment decision tool without a bias audit in the past year, a public summary of it and notices to candidates.
We designFor US clients, bias-audit summaries and candidate notices are built into the hiring flow.
Local Law 144 of 2021 · enforced from 5 July 2023 Official text: New York City Local Law 144
Compiled 3 October 2026. Our reading of typical programmes, not legal advice. Rules change; your counsel confirms how each one applies to you.
Challenges
What we hear in almost every staffing & HR services brief — on the customer’s side of the screen, and on yours.
Candidates want a short application, a status and an answer.
Screening that a candidate could understand and challenge.
Contract and gig workers paid correctly, with their benefits visible.
What we build
A typical programme here draws on each discipline in this mix. Every line names what it builds for the industry and links to the capability that does the work.
Screening and matching assistants with bias tests, logs and a person deciding.
Candidate journeys from search to offer: short, accessible and explained.
Job, payroll and worker platforms integrated with the government portals for vacancies and registrations.
Candidate and client journeys on consented records, with retention rules.
Employer and service brands that candidates and clients both trust.
Hiring campaigns and job content that are clear, inclusive and lawful.
Programmes
The way in follows candidates from search to first payslip and checks each step against the rules. Lengths are typical, never promised.
The way in
We apply as candidates do, follow hires to the first payslip, and check each step against the codes, the data law and the AI rules.
What it hands over
02Milestone · 4–9 months
One-page applications, status updates, interview scheduling and offers, integrated with the ATS, payroll and the government portals.
MovesTime to fill
Services: End-to-end UX & UI design · Custom CRM or operations platform · System integration
Enquire about Candidate and client platform03Project · 8–12 weeks
Shortlisting support with documented criteria, bias testing and a person deciding, ready for EU and New York City clients.
MovesScreening decisions reviewed by a person
Services: AI pilot programme · Brand fidelity evaluation · AI use policy, rights & disclosure
Enquire about Governed screening assistant04Project · 8–12 weeks
Appointment letters, payslips, benefits and registrations visible to contract and gig workers, in their language.
MovesWorker queries resolved in the app
Services: End-to-end UX & UI design · Web or mobile app
Enquire about Worker app for the new codesHow success is measured
The number we moveTime to fill
AI, under the rules
Each use case is tested for bias and for instructions hidden in CVs, keeps a log, and no model rejects a candidate.
Use case 01
Measured bySelection-rate ratio across groups on the bias test
Tested forOWASP LLM01 · Prompt injection
Ships only with its evaluation set, its guardrail and an owner
Use case 02
Measured byCandidate queries resolved without a call
Tested forOWASP LLM02 · Sensitive information disclosure
Ships only with its evaluation set, its guardrail and an owner
Use case 03
Measured byAds approved at first check
Tested forOWASP LLM05 · Improper output handling
Ships only with its evaluation set, its guardrail and an owner
Work and insights
Projects in this industry are published once a client approves the write-up. Until then, here is what we have written on the rules that apply.
A typical programme · composite
A staffing firm rebuilt its candidate journey with a one-page application, status updates and a person reviewing every automated shortlist, and moved its appointment letters and contributions onto the new codes’ terms.
Anonymised and illustrative: the shape a programme takes, never a named client.
Nothing published on staffing & HR services yet. Ask us what we are seeing in the industry.
Ask usQuestions
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly
The codes have applied since 21 November 2025. We redesign offer letters, onboarding, payroll records and worker communication on the codes’ terms and the rules notified under them; your counsel confirms each change.
Yes, with care: documented criteria, bias tests before use, logs and a person deciding every shortlist. For EU clients it is high-risk AI under the AI Act from 2 December 2027; for New York City roles a bias audit and candidate notices are required.
Yes: worker onboarding, earnings, benefits and registration on the government portal, designed with workers and built for the 2026 rules.
Only as long as the purpose needs and the law allows. We build retention timers, consent per purpose and a way for candidates to withdraw; your counsel sets the periods.
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Tell us what you’re building. We’ll answer straight.
01About 2 minutes
You get A reply from a lead, not a sales queue
02About 8 minutesMost useful
You get Options and a first scope after one call
03About 15 minutes
You get Receipt confirmed and a named bid lead
Every engagement starts with a written scope and a quote agreed before work begins. How each package is priced
