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After every election, there’s a period where the news is very focused on what’s going to happen in the new administration. Even when the current president is reelected. And especially when the current president is not. The conversation isn’t just focused on what’s going to happen but when will it happen and how.
It’s always interesting to see what people have to say leading up to a transition. I recently listened to a webcast featuring five employment lawyers talking about what they expect to happen with HR compliance next year and some things HR professionals might want to consider. The panel of legal professionals included:
Eric B. Meyer, Pierson Ferdinand LLP
Dessi Day, Pierson Ferdinand LLP
Amy Epstein Gluck, Pierson Ferdinand LLP
Jon Hyman, Wickens Herzer Panza
Daniel Schwartz, Shipman & Goodwin LLP
This group is always so wonderful about sharing their expertise with the HR community. When you have a moment, check out what they have to say. I found the conversation very interesting. Here are some of my takeaways from the webcast.
Pay attention to government appointments. I know there are days when the last thing we want to do is think about the structure of government and who’s leading what committee, but who’s in charge can have an impact on what gets done. This should not be a surprise – it happens in our companies all the time. The same applies to government – both at a federal, state, and local level.
Rolling back a law can be a challenge. In the past, we’ve seen government roll back / change laws. Organizations have decisions to make. Are we going to keep doing what we’re doing (even though it’s not a mandate any longer)? Or are we going to roll back? And if we decide to roll back, how are we going to do it? There are no clear answers and HR departments are going to want to think about how they plan to approach these HR compliance matters if and when they occur.
Plan for employee handbook and policy reviews. We say that HR departments should regularly review their handbooks as well as policies to make sure they’re current. If your organization doesn’t have this on their calendar, it might be a good idea to add it. That way if laws do change, you know exactly what aspect of HR compliance it impacts. The last thing the organization wants to do is give employees a handbook with outdated information.
While we don’t know what the future holds, I did find the topics covered by the panel to be realistic. They talked about potential changes within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). They also discussed what the future might hold for subjects like non-compete rules, artificial intelligence, and employee wages. Again, when you have a moment, the webcast is worth checking out.
As organizations are getting ready for the new year, talking about how they plan to handle HR compliance should be a part of the conversation. It could be helpful to bring your legal counsel into the discussion. They might have some recommendations on proactive steps HR departments should consider. One thing we know for sure, organizations are going to look to HR to help guide them through any changes.
The post How to Prepare for HR Compliance in 2025 appeared first on hr bartender.
