HR and/or AI Compliance Audit
Find the problems before someone else does.
Most owners don't know what they're missing until a former employee, a state agency or a plaintiff's attorney points it out. An audit tells you first, in plain English, with a fix list ranked by risk. Choose an HR audit, an AI audit, or both together.
HR Compliance Audit
A full check-up of your people practices.
You built your HR the way most owners do: one problem at a time. A form from your accountant here, a policy from a friend's company there. It works, until it doesn't. And the rules change as you grow. New federal obligations kick in at 15, 20, 50 and 100 employees, whether anyone tells you or not.
This isn't a gotcha exercise. It's a clear picture of where you're solid, where you're exposed, and what to fix first.
What I review
- Hiring: job postings, applications, interview questions, background checks and offer letters
- New-hire paperwork: I-9s, E-Verify (required for every South Carolina employer) and written wage notices
- Pay practices: exempt vs. non-exempt, overtime, employee vs. 1099 contractor, final pay
- Handbook & policies: what's missing, outdated or risky
- Personnel files & records: what you keep, where, and for how long
- Leave & accommodations: FMLA, ADA and how requests are handled
- Discipline & terminations: documentation and process
- Required postings, training and reporting for your size and industry
How it works
- Kickoff call. We talk through your business, headcount, locations and any worries keeping you up at night.
- Document review. You send what you have. No need to clean it up first; messy is normal.
- Interviews. Short conversations with you and whoever handles HR, payroll or hiring.
- Findings, ranked by risk. A short, plain-English report: red (fix now), yellow (fix soon), green (you're good).
- Walk-through and fix plan. We go through it together. Fix it yourself, or have my team handle it.
AI Compliance Audit
I'm using AI to hire and I'm not sure it's legal.
Maybe your applicant tracking system ranks résumés. Maybe a vendor's tool scores video interviews. Maybe your manager uses ChatGPT to write job posts and screen candidates. You're not doing anything wrong. But you're responsible for what those tools decide.
What's really going on
Most owners don't realize how much AI is already inside their hiring process. It's built into job boards, applicant tracking systems, assessment tools and scheduling software, often turned on by default.
Federal anti-discrimination law applies to hiring decisions whether a person or an algorithm makes them. If a tool screens out applicants by age, race, sex or disability, "the software did it" isn't a defense. The employer is on the hook, not the vendor.
And the rules are growing. Illinois now requires employers to notify people when AI is used in hiring and other employment decisions (effective January 1, 2026). California's regulations on automated decision systems in employment took effect in October 2025. New York City requires bias audits for automated hiring tools, and Colorado passed its own AI law. If you hire remote workers or recruit across state lines, some of these may already reach you.
How I solve it
- Inventory. We find every place AI touches hiring, promotion, scheduling or evaluation, including the features you didn't know were on.
- Risk review. I review how each tool makes decisions, what your vendors will and won't stand behind, and which laws apply to where you hire.
- Plain-English findings. What's fine, what's risky, and what to change first.
- Fixes. Candidate notices, updated policies, manager guidelines, vendor questions, and a simple process to keep it clean.
An audit is for you if…
- You're growing toward 15, 50 or 100 employees
- HR has been handled by you, your office manager or your bookkeeper
- You haven't looked at your handbook or hiring paperwork in a couple of years
- You use any hiring tool with "AI," "smart" or "automated" features
- You're preparing to sell, merge or bring in investors
It's not the right fit if…
- You need a legal opinion. I'm not a law firm, and when you need an attorney, I'll tell you and work alongside yours.
- You're looking for a financial, payroll-tax or IT security audit
Common questions
Should I get the HR audit, the AI audit, or both?
If you've never had an HR audit, start there; it covers the basics that most claims come from. If you use AI or automated tools anywhere in hiring or employee evaluations, add the AI audit. Doing both together costs less than doing them separately, because we gather your documents once.
We're a small company. Does this really apply to us?
Yes. Some rules apply from your first employee, like I-9s, E-Verify in South Carolina, wage and hour law, and final pay. More apply at 15, 20, 50 and 100 employees. The audit tells you exactly what applies to your size and where you hire.
How long does an audit take?
Most small and mid-sized businesses take a few weeks from kickoff to findings, depending on your size and how many locations and tools are involved.
Will you judge how we've been doing things?
No. I ran businesses for 22 years, and I made plenty of these mistakes myself. You'll get the truth, delivered by someone on your side.
Our vendor says their AI tool is compliant. Isn't that enough?
Not usually. The employer is responsible for its hiring decisions. A vendor's assurance helps, but you need to know what the tool does with your applicants and have documentation to show it.
Is this legal advice?
No. I'm an HR advisor, not a law firm. The audit gives you an HR compliance review and a practical fix list, and I'll flag anything that needs your attorney.
No forms. No pitch.
Tell me what's going on.
Text me, call me, or grab 30 minutes on my calendar. I usually reply within two hours during business hours.