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 Administration Orders a Regulatory Freeze on All Federal Agencies and Departments
Trump Administration orders all executive agencies and departments to not issue or propose any new rule starting at noon on January 20.
Impact: Anything not yet published in the federal register will be withdrawn, including OSHA's proposed standard to protect workers from heat and the Wage and Hour Division's proposed rule to stop allowing workers with disabilities to be paid less than the minimum wage.
The Trump Administration has Issued a Hiring Freeze for All Federal Agencies and Departments
The Trump Administration has issued a hiring freeze for all federal agencies and departments.
Impact: Positions that are not currently filled will remain vacant and no new hiring will take place during the hiring freeze. As people leave their jobs, they will not be filled and the delivery of government services will suffer. This is laying the groundwork for an attempt to dramatically shrink the federal workforce and impede essential services.
Trump updates Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) for federal Senior Executive workforce
Trump EO Updates qualifications for federal Senior Executive Service (SES) Workforce for first time in 15 years with a focus on data, AI, and other technology competencies.
Impact: Trump is paving the way to make it easier to dismiss career civil servants. OPM and OMB shall issue mandatory SES Performance Plans within 30 days that agencies must adopt for their workforce. SES workers deemed not in compliance will be subject to reassignment or termination.
Trump Administration Establishes So-Called “Department of Government Efficiency”
This executive order renames and reorganizes the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service, and places staff dedicated to so-called government efficiency in each agency.
Impact: While this executive order is light on details, Trump and Elon Musk (who will neither be a government employee nor confirmed appointee, who he has tapped to lead so-called “government efficiency” efforts) have pledged to radically cut federal spending and attack the federal workforce, with major implications for our society and economy. The mechanism established in this order will likely play a role in those efforts.
Trump Rescinds Biden Reforms to Make the Regulatory Process More Equitable and Accessible
The Trump administration rescinds Biden reforms to make public participation in the rulemaking process more accessible and transparent to the public and parties interested in shaping the rulemaking agenda.
Impact: The reversal changes course from Biden’s EO 14094, “Modernizing Regulatory Review,” which included provisions to strengthen public participation in the rule making process, including directing agencies to engage with interested parties when developing regulatory agendas, and ensure access by the public via meeting requests with Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).
Trump Seeks to Halt Progress on Establishing Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence
Trump rescinded President Biden’s Executive Order 14110, “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.” This order established that the development and use of AI must be consistent with equity, civil rights, privacy, and civil liberties. The order directed the Department of Labor to develop a set of principles and best practices for employers for the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, guidance for federal contractors regarding nondiscrimination in hiring, and guidance clarifying employer obligations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Impact:
Guidance issued by the DOL as a result of the executive order remain in place for now, but rescinding this order signals that the Trump administration does not plan to center equity and civil rights in the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
Trump Ends Initiatives Focused on AANHPI Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans
President Trump revoked President Biden’s executive orders aiming to advance equity for Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.
Impact:
As part of its work, the initiatives focused on addressing discrimination and disparities in employment opportunities.
Trump Reverses Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers for Service Contracts Biden EO
Trump reverses Biden EO that ensured skilled workers employed through federal contracts remained in their jobs even when a new contractor took over the work.
Impact: President Biden's EO was designed to avoid job displacement for workers and reduce disruption to continued service under the contracts. The federal government benefits from well-trained experienced workers and skilled workers get to remain in their job. And workers benefit from job security.
Trump Disbands White House Gender Policy Council
President Biden created the White House Gender Policy Council, which coordinated policy across the federal government to advance gender equity, including on labor and employment issues. President Trump disbanded the council by executive order.
Impact:
The council elevated gender equity issues in the White House, and ensured that gender equity was considered in policymaking decisions across agencies.
Trump Reinstates Attacks on Immigrants
Trump has reinstated his first administration’s attacks on immigrants, by directing federal agencies to prioritize deportations and threatening to pull federal funding from local jurisdictions that refuse to collaborate with federal immigration authorities.
Impact: The order begins the process of fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to deport immigrants on a mass scale. Deportations of immigrant workers hurts their families, communities, and economies. Ramped up immigration enforcement gives unscrupulous employers even more power to exploit their workers, regardless of immigration status. And collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration enforcement reduces trust between immigrant communities and local authorities and is harmful to public safety.