As we navigate a new year and a new administration, we are all grappling with an unprecedented wave of executive orders and memoranda from the Trump administration that are reshaping the workplace.
From dramatic shake-ups in the EEOC and NLRB to increased scrutiny of DEI practices, employers are facing yet another season of uncertainty.
Continue Reading Register Now | Responding to Policy Shifts Under the Trump Administration
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is poised for a major shift following recent changes under the Trump administration. With two open seats on the board, President Trump is expected to appoint Republican members, reshaping the NLRB’s political landscape and reversing key Biden-era labor policies.Continue Reading Big Changes Are Coming to the NLRB with President Trump’s Second Term
Last week, as part of a major shake-up of the federal government’s enforcement agencies, President Trump made three major changes to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), all of which will cause a major shift in the political leanings of the EEOC. One of those changes, the firing of EEOC General Counsel Karla Gilbride, was expected. The other changes, the firing of EEOC Commissioners Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels, were unexpected and unprecedented.Continue Reading President Trump’s Shake-Up of Federal Enforcement Agencies Continues with Big Changes to the EEOC
Update (February 3, 2025): On February 1, President Trump fired Acting General Counsel Jessica Rutter. At this time, it is unclear who will serve as Acting General Counsel or who President Trump will ultimately appoint as General Counsel of the NLRB. We will closely monitor and report on further developments.
Late Monday night, President Trump made two major changes to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), both of which will cause a major shift in the political leanings of the NLRB and one that may substantially impact the president’s direct authority over government agencies. One of those changes, the firing of NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, was expected and somewhat surprising that it took this long. The other change, the firing of Board Member Gwynne Wilcox, was unexpected and unprecedented.Continue Reading President Trump Makes Two Big Changes to NLRB – One Expected, One Unprecedented
On Wednesday, the Senate did not confirm the re-appointment of current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Chairman Lauren McFerran, a Democrat, whose term will expire December 16. President Biden’s nomination and attempted re-appointment of Chairman McFerran failed on a procedural vote when a vote to end debate and consider the nomination failed. Following this vote against ending debate, which resulted in the failure of McFerran’s nomination, a scheduled vote on another of Biden’s NLRB nominations, a Republican nominee, was withdrawn.Continue Reading National Labor Relations Board Expected to Have Republican Majority Shortly After Trump Takes Office
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) recently issued two rulings that caused a seismic shift in what is permissible employer conduct during a union organizational campaign. While there is uncertainty about the longevity of these rulings with an incoming change in administration, employers are required to comply with the new precedents for the time being.Continue Reading NLRB Releases Two Major Decisions Less Than a Week Apart
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has dropped its appeal of a Texas federal judge’s order striking down its new, expansive joint employer rule. As readers may recall, late last year the NLRB issued a rule broadening the definition of joint employer, which would have significantly increased the number of entities that may be deemed joint employers and thus share responsibility for complying with the National Labor Relations Act. Continue Reading NLRB Withdraws Appeal of Joint Employer Rule
We previously posted here regarding a July 1, 2024, increase in the salary threshold for overtime exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Despite multiple legal challenges to the Department of Labor’s 2024 Rule, most of which remain pending, the 2024 Rule is now in effect for all private employers. Continue Reading Are You in Compliance with the New FLSA Salary Threshold?
On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Chevron decision, which had required courts to uphold a federal agency’s interpretation of a statute as long as it was reasonable. Now, courts are required to exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, and courts may not defer to an agency’s interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous. Continue Reading Supreme Court Overturns Landmark Chevron Decision: Expect Impact on Employment Decisions
NOTE: This post was originally written October 31, 2023, and was updated on December 12, 2023.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently issued a final rule setting forth a new standard for joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The new rule, the NLRB recently voted to delay by 2 months and is now set to go into effect on February 26, 2024, drastically broadens the scope of who can be considered a joint employer under the NLRA.Continue Reading NLRB Issues New Rule Broadening Joint-Employer Status