Issue #16 • Oct 14, 2025
Welcome Back, Future of Work By HR Stacks!
We cut through the noise to bring you the most important updates in HR Tech, AI, and the changing world of work. From new AI colleagues clocking in to shifts in workforce strategy, here’s what you need to know this week.
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In Today’s Edition:
Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Fee: Employers Face Immediate Shock and Uncertainty
Meta's 5X AI Productivity Push: A Bold Metaverse Strategy
Silent Layoffs Sweep Indian Tech: Automation Tightens the Screws
Federal Workforce Reversal: Trump Reinstates Laid-Off Employees
Kaiser on the Brink: 23 Unions Threaten Massive October Strike
Payroll Pirates Raid Academic Payrolls: Microsoft Issues Warning
Google Tightens “Work From Anywhere”: Remote Flexibility Under Pressure
H-1B Fee Surge: High Stakes, High Barriers
On September 19, 2025, a presidential proclamation announced a $100,000 fee on most new H-1B petitions and restricted entry for certain H-1B workers, a sudden policy aimed at curbing alleged program abuse and prioritizing higher-paid hires. The White House measure took effect at 12:01 AM ET on Sept. 21, 2025.
Federal memoranda and agency FAQs quickly narrowed the scope: CBP and USCIS say the rule applies prospectively to petitions filed on/after Sept. 21, 2025, and does not apply to beneficiaries of already-filed or approved petitions or holders of valid H-1B visas. Agencies also flagged forthcoming guidance on exceptions and implementation.
Why It Matters
The fee could sharply raise hiring costs for tech, academia, healthcare, and small employers that rely on foreign talent, trigger travel cancellations, and prompt immediate legal challenges while rulemaking on wages and lottery reform looms. Employers are urged to rely on official agency releases and consult counsel.
Key Takeaways:
Applies to new petitions only: Fee enforced for H-1B petitions filed on/after Sept. 21, 2025, not for existing approvals.
Huge cost shock: $100,000 per new petition could make many hires economically unviable for smaller institutions.
Travel confusion: Rapid rollout caused canceled trips; agencies advise following formal memoranda and FAQs.
Policy changes coming: Proclamation also directs wage rulemaking and lottery prioritization for high-paid workers.
Expect legal fights: Broad language and a fast, effective date make judicial challenges likely; employers should get legal advice now.
5-fold Faster Metaverse Building: Meta’s New AI Imperative
Meta is urging its metaverse division to adopt AI tools to accelerate productivity by five times. Vishal Shah, VP of Metaverse, emphasized the goal of making AI a habitual tool, not a novelty, across all roles, from engineers to designers.
The company aims for 80% of metaverse employees to integrate AI into daily workflows by year-end, supported by training sessions and "AI learning days." This initiative aligns with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's vision of AI agents writing most of Meta's code within 12-18 months.
Key Takeaways:
5X Productivity Goal: Meta aims to quintuple productivity by integrating AI into daily workflows.
AI as a Habit: The focus is on making AI a regular tool, not a one-time novelty.
Training Initiatives: Employees will undergo training sessions and "AI learning days" to facilitate adoption.
Long-Term Vision: CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions AI agents writing most of Meta's code within 12-18 months.
Silent Layoffs Surge In Indian Tech Sector
India’s IT giants, TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra, are quietly trimming staff as automation and AI reshape workforce needs. Over 50,000 roles are at risk in 2025, double last year’s estimate.
With no formal announcements, employees face “silent layoffs” through attrition, contract non-renewals, and subtle restructuring. The message is clear: adaptability, not tenure, now determines survival in tech.
Key Takeaways:
Jobs Under Threat: More than 50,000 IT roles may be cut in 2025 amid AI-driven restructuring.
Automation Drives Change: Routine tasks and non-billable roles are being replaced by algorithms.
Silent Signals: Reduced communication, vague feedback, and reassigned projects may indicate risk.
Skills Gap Widens: Legacy tech talent struggles to keep pace with AI and data-driven demands.
Lesson for Workers: Reinvention is key; those who adapt early stay relevant.
MORE TRENDING NEWS
The Trump administration is recalling hundreds of federal employees previously laid off by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued recall notices, requesting the affected employees to respond by the end of the week.
Those who accept will return to work on October 6 after a seven-month period during which they were still being paid despite not working.
What for HR leaders: Evaluate the long-term impact of mass layoffs on organizational efficiency and morale. Ensure that cost-cutting measures are balanced with operational needs to maintain effective service delivery.
Over 45,000 Kaiser workers across 8 states have authorized a walkout if management doesn’t address chronic understaffing, stagnant pay, and unsafe schedules by October 14. The coordinated action could be one of the year’s largest health-care strikes.
What For HR Leaders: Urgently shore up staffing and retention, reopen good-faith bargaining, and prepare contingency plans to protect patient care and operations.
A Microsoft poll shows 71 % of employees use unapproved consumer AI tools weekly or more, risking data privacy and security breaches.
What for HR leaders: Run real skills assessments, align learning to business goals, upskill managers, and pilot AI use cases with clear ROI metrics.
Microsoft says threat actor Storm-2657 uses AiTM phishing to harvest credentials, bypass MFA, alter Workday payroll settings, and hide notifications. 11 accounts at three U.S. universities were used to phish ~6,000 addresses across 25 schools. Read more.
What for HR leaders: Run real skills assessments, align learning to business goals, upskill managers, and pilot AI use cases with clear ROI metrics.
The tech giant revised its Work From Anywhere (WFA) policy so that one remote day now counts as an entire WFA week. Workers can’t use WFA for home or nearby locations, and cross-border remote work is banned.
What for HR leaders: Review and update global remote policies, tighten eligibility rules, and communicate clearly. Treat WFA as a strategic perk, align it with business objectives, and monitor compliance closely.
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