In honor of President’s Day, we would like to share some updates with you about the impact of President Trump’s policies on HR professionals in the workplace. As always, a new president can have a huge impact on the workforce, but the checks and balances in place within the United States government does not allow for hasty implementation of many programs.

• The ban on immigration – Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen are free to enter the U.S. after a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower federal court judge’s nationwide temporary restraining order blocking the president’s controversial executive order.The President will now appeal to the Supreme Court. Kim Thompson, an Atlanta attorney and chair of Fisher Phillips’ Global Immigration Practice Group, said, “This situation continues to remain highly fluid with near-daily developments, so employers will want to remain up to speed with the case as its outcome could impact your workforce and require adjustments to your business practices.” Stay tuned!
  • How does this affect you?
    • Consider postponing work-related international travel plans for affected employees outside of the U.S.
    • Instruct employees currently traveling outside of the U.S. for work-related reasons who are affected by this ban to return to the U.S. as quickly as possible, as the legal status of the court order is very fluid and could change at any time.
• Hiring freeze – As discussed on the blog before, a hiring freeze can definitely agitate the federal workforce, as positions go unfilled despite previous approval to hire. Uncertainty with how the freeze will affect workers ongoing can also cause uneasiness amongst the federal workforce. According to one survey published by The Washington Times, 1 in 4 federal workers are considering leaving their jobs during the Trump administration. The hiring freeze does not help with the unrest for these workers.
• Covered California – What would happen to Covered California if there is a repeal on the ACA under the Trump administration? Low income California residents would most likely be bumped out of the Covered California option as rates would potentially rise, and those residents who could no longer afford insurance options would move over to Medi-Cal coverage. States would not have as many options for exchanges under the coverage without federal subsidies, so options would most likely dwindle as well.
• Paid Maternity Leave – As part of President Trump’s First 100 Days initiative, he has proposed six weeks of paid maternity leave as a federal benefit. Republican lawmakers may be resistant to this, but President Trump appears to move forward with his plans regardless of opposition he may receive from the GOP. President Trump would also like to address child-care costs and make them lower for American working families.

According to SHRM, “A president’s influence typically is at its greatest during the first 100 days, as Congress tends to listen to the president more during this period, research shows. A new president also often may issue executive orders early on that contradict a prior president’s policies.” So, only time will tell how much these policies and proposals will affect workplaces and especially HR professionals.