Table of Contents

1. Opening Salvo

2. Did You See This?

3. The Plug

Opening Salvo

As I finally put hand to keyboard after drafting this week's issue in my head about 15 times over the past day and a half, I still don’t know exactly what I want to say. I don’t particularly feel like publishing anything this week, but I feel compelled to show up and, as my wife says, “give you my best, not my baggage”—or at least as much as I can find. I don’t have much inspo energy for you all this week, so feel free to jump straight to the articles.

Disclaimer: blah, blah, blah…the “unsubscribe” button works fine if you need it.

We’ve strayed so far from demanding competent and selfless candidates for our public offices that Idiocracy is starting to feel like an aspirational standard. For any sentient adult to admit their deciding voting factor was one candidate being a guest on their favorite podcast, while the other was not, signals an intellectual laziness that used to hide in dark corners and now gets broadcast proudly. I don’t need to say anything about our President-elect. You know him; you either love him or you don’t, because in whichever reality you live, there’s no middle ground. But all of us living in competing versions of reality? Now, that’s a problem.

For nearly half of the American voting populace, this week has made our country feel unbearable. The irony? For the last three-plus years, the other half has felt exactly the same. Two different realities.

Here’s what I truly hate about this past 9-year political cycle: we’ve become so tribal and polarized that our political landscape now feels like a perpetual high school rivalry. We’re so busy attacking each other based on which “school” we belong to that we fail to hold our elected officials accountable. We’ve allowed them to distract us from their ineffectiveness and, in many cases, their moral bankruptcy. Whoever shifted political strategy to resemble WWE/NFL fandom was brilliant. They may have ruined the country, but it was a brilliant move.

All that to say, just because we’re going back doesn’t mean we need to keep the same toxic energy. Regardless of how you view the world, try to make it more bearable for those around you. I know it sounds like a lot, but try.

Also, disparaging a woman who was once the top law officer in one of the largest states in the country as "lazy, a stupid person, and dumb" says a lot more about you than it does about her. 

Did You See This?

Election 2024: Key HR Policy Changes to Watch

With the results of the 2024 election, the HR community is preparing for possible regulatory shifts. A new administration brings different priorities, many of which signal a likely reversal of policies from recent years. Here’s how HR leaders might be impacted:

• Labor and Employment Regulations: A Trump-led Department of Labor is expected to re-evaluate several pro-worker regulations introduced during the previous administration. This could mean rolling back the new overtime salary thresholds, adjusting joint-employer definitions, and revisiting independent contractor standards.

• Immigration: Immigration remains a high-profile issue, with Trump campaigning on border security and enforcing stricter immigration policies. His administration is anticipated to oppose reforms that would make it easier for businesses to hire foreign-born workers, who made up 18.6% of the U.S. civilian workforce in 2023. Changes here could reduce the labor supply, impacting industries that rely on immigrant labor and HR teams responsible for hiring in a tighter talent market.

• DEI: Trump previously banned certain diversity trainings at the federal level, and he has called for an end to federal and government-contracted DEI programs. Private-sector DEI programs may come under scrutiny, especially if they receive federal funding.

• Abortion and Reproductive Health: Although Trump has indicated that abortion should be handled at the state level, anti-abortion advocates have suggested potential enforcement of the Comstock Act to restrict mailing certain reproductive health medications.

• Caregiving and Family Leave: Trump has provided limited details on caregiving and family leave policies, leaving his stance on potential reforms to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) unclear.

As the regulatory landscape evolves, HR leaders will need to stay proactive, ready to adapt their policies and practices to align with new guidelines while supporting their workforce’s needs.

The Plug

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