Worker Policy Watch
Your source for accurate and reliable information on how federal policies are shaping workers’ rights—and what’s at stake for working people nationwide under the Trump administration.
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Trump Admin Rescinds Guidance on Mass Firings of Probationary Federal Workers
On March 5th, the Trump administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shared updated guidance making it clear that that agencies have ultimate decision making for firing workers, in contradiction to an earlier OPM memo seemingly directing agencies to fire probationary workers.
Impact:
The earlier memo led to tens of thousands of federal workers with probationary status being fired across many agencies. This updated memo comes in response to a federal judge ruling last week that OPM’s guidance on firing probationary workers was outside of OPM’s legal authority. At least one agency, the Department of Labor, has reinstated fired workers in response to the judge’s ruling.
Trump Administration DOL Appeals Blocked Overtime Rule Decision
Under the Trump administration, the Department of Labor (DOL) has appealed a federal court decision that had blocked the 2024 overtime rule.
Impact:
The Biden era DOL revised overtime rule went into effect in July 2024 and expanded overtime eligibility for employees by raising the salary threshold required for an employee to qualify for an overtime exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Trump administration is likely to review the 2024 overtime rule to set a lower threshold or could rescind the rule all together.
Trump Administration Demands Information About Federal Workforce Union Activities
Under the Trump administration, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has requested all federal agency heads submit information about union activities by unionized workers, raising concerns about further efforts from the administration to restrict the labor rights of federal workers.
Impact:
This is the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on the federal workforce unions that are currently battling the administration in federal court. Currently, federal workers are allowed to take part in union business during their work time, but the administration has signaled that it may no longer allow them to do so. Unions for federal workers have filed several lawsuits to block the mass firings of federal workers, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), among others.
Trump Administration Dismantles Key Civil Rights Enforcement Offices Across Agencies
The Trump administration is weakening civil rights and antidiscrimination enforcement by dismantling crucial civil rights offices across agencies that oversee and enforce these rights and protections for workers.
Impact:
In violation of federal law, this dismantling furthers the Trump administration’s stated goal of eliminating the internal and external civil rights functions altogether of the federal government. The in-agency equal opportunity offices are mandated by law to ensure that employees receive equal opportunity “regardless of race, sex, national origin, color, religion, disability or reprisal for engaging in prior protected activity.” These efforts would greatly hinder the ability of the Department of Labor’s contract compliance office to ensure large contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Deloitte, and many of Elon Musk's companies are abiding by fair pay and hiring practices for workers.
Trump signs and Executive Order mandating English as the official language of the United States
This order rescinded a mandate put in place by President Clinton that federal agencies and other entities who receive federal funding make their services accessible to non-English speakers.
Impact:
Federal agencies and entities that receive federal funding now have discretion about whether or not they provide assistance and services in languages other than English. This could lead to people with limited English proficiency not being aware of their rights, or not being adequately assisted in receiving the rights and benefits to which they are legally entitled. It is yet another brute-force roll-back of the civil rights workers have fought so hard to attain.
Senate HELP Committee holds a confirmation hearing for Deputy Secretary of DOL nominee Keith Sonderling
The Deputy Secretary is essentially the Chief Operating Officer at DOL. If confirmed, Sonderling will have oversight over all substantive and administrative work at DOL, including Human Resources.
Impact:
At his hearing, Sonderling touted his support for the first Trump Administration's regulations on the joint employer standard and the definition of employees and independent contractors under the FLSA, both of which stacked the deck against workers. He was evasive about his involvement in any efforts of DOGE at DOL and the personnel decisions made thus far or contemplated for the future, and policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Trump administration Orders Removal of Transgender Military Members
Building off of Trump’s earlier Executive Order to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, the Pentagon released a memo ordering transgender troops currently serving to be fired from the military within 60 days.
Impact:
Trump’s earlier Executive Order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military is currently being challenged by several lawsuits. This latest action goes further than the first Trump administration in that it seeks a complete purge of transgender military members currently serving as well as a ban. This order could result in as many as 15,000 service members being expelled from their jobs.
Six Federal Workers Reinstated to Jobs Marking First Successful Challenge to Trump Firings
Six probationary federal workers from six different federal government agencies will be reinstated to their jobs until at least April 10th, according to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the independent federal agency that hears employee complaints against the government.
Impact:
The MSPB has reinstated the workers to their positions for 45 days as the U.S. Office of Special Counsel investigates the seemingly illegal firings. This development underscores that even though these workers are probationary, they cannot simply be fired “at will” without just cause or due process. The six federal workers come from different agencies: the departments of Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management.
Trump administration revokes Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 500,000 Haitian people
Without TPS, these workers will lose their authorization to live and work in the United States and could be deported beginning in August.
Impact:
Haitian workers were granted TPS because of the dangerous conditions in Haiti, where over 5600 people were killed last year and over one million are homeless because of gang violence. Gangs reportedly control over 85% of Haiti's capital and people sent back will be exposed to life-threatening danger, homelessness, and a lack of jobs.
Senate HELP Committee Holds a Confirmation Hearing for Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer; On February 27, the Senate HELP Committee advances this nomination by a vote of 14-9
In her confirmation hearing, Rep. Chavez-DeRemer walks back her support for the PRO Act, pledges support for so-called "Right to Work" laws, pledges to review all of the Biden-era regulations, and says that if confirmed as Secretary of Labor, she has no right or ability to weigh in on the issue of raising the federal minimum wage.
Impact:
The Secretary of Labor, by the mission of DOL, is the nation's chief advocate for working people, who deserve a secretary that will put their needs first, not those of corporate America, the DOGE, or any other entity or person who is motivated by greed, or any other agenda that doesn't benefit workers first and foremost.
Updated 2/28/25