This has been a long and bruising election season, there’s no other way to describe it. Many are outraged, calling it an anomaly, some are calling it a game-changer and/or transformational, while many individuals, including myself, are simply hopeful that we can just get back to business as usual. However, there’s a lot of uncertainty of what “business as usual” will look like in the new administration.
I’ve had multiple conversations over the past few months with both clients and colleagues about encouraging employees to keep the election, especially this election, out of the workplace. With today’s always-on media and amplification caused by social media, it was a difficult few months for my fellow HR practitioners to keep the polarizing political punditry at bay.
With the election in the rear view mirror, many of us are asking, what now? How will this impact my business, my workforce, etc.? Without a doubt, the Trump Administration and Republican Congress is going to bring significant changes to Washington, DC and the federal government. From Supreme Court and federal judicial nominees, to the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, there’s going to be a lot happening that will be of interest to the HR community.
Our colleagues at the firms Jackson Lewis and Littler Mendelson have put together some comprehensive post-election examinations of potential changes to workplace law under the Trump Administration. They are both worth taking a few minutes to read.
I’m going to be interested in seeing the impact of new leadership at the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Jackson Lewis feels that under the Trump Administration, the EEOC might begin easing enforcement positions on the ADA, Title VII, and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. Littler Mendelson examines the reality that any legislation pushing for paid leave, minimum wage increases, and other worker-friendly measures, will now fall to the states and localities. All of these changes could have significant impact on businesses.
With every new presidential administration, there are changes that businesses must navigate. While I certainly don’t have a crystal ball, the one thing I do know is that 2017 is going to be an interesting year, and that it will create a lot of dialogue for human resources and business leaders.
