Over the last one-and-a-half years, we have done a lot of research on the presidential candidates and their impact on human resources. Now that our country is going to have a Trump presidency starting January 20, 2017, we have gathered a list of what HR items we think President-elect Trump will tackle his first 100 days in office. Here’s what we think a Trump presidency means for HR.
- Overtime – The Department of Labor (DOL) changed the overtime exemption rule. This new rule could increase the exempt salary threshold to $47,476 per year. However, we believe that the Trump Administration will decide not to offer federal funding to defend this position, which means this new rule, will simply die. However, employers should work towards compliance because one never knows how Trump’s Administration will handle the enforcement of this new rule.
- Affordable Care Act – While Trump has promised to repeal and replace Obamacare, this likely will not happen overnight. Chances are repealing everything and not offering an alternative would shift the healthcare industry immediately into chaos. The Trump Administration will likely offer a slow phase-out of the original Obamacare plan, simply offering reforms and replacement options. Employers must still abide by current laws, as Trump’s Administration cannot make these changes overnight.
- Leave and Wages – Expanding the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and sick leave requirements for employers were not at the top of Trump’s campaign list. If he does address these issues, chances are it will be late in his first term. However, employers should check with state and local laws for additional sick or medical leave issues that passed in November 2016.
- Labor Movement – President Obama was a pro-union president. President-elect Trump will likely appoint members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that are more employer-friendly. This goes along with Trump’s ideologies about rebuilding businesses and the economy.
- Immigrant Workers – Trump will mandate that E-Verify is regularly used by employers to check the employment status of every person working in the U.S. We anticipate there will be an increase in raids conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) agency and more I-9 audits. Make sure that all company-related documents are in order. Also, remember that there is a new I-9 form, which all employers are required to start using effective January 22, 2017.
These are simply the predictions of Ninja Gig and only President-elect Trump’s first 100 days in office will confirm if these come to fruition. Ninja Gig allows employers to easily accept job applications online, helping increase productivity and workflow within human resources departments.