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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U.S. Department of Transportation Makes Renewed Deferred Resignation Offer to Employees
The U.S. Department of Transportation renewed its efforts to reduce its workforce through deferred resignation. This initiative targeted workers in the agency’s Office of Civil Rights and the Maritime Administration.
Impact:
The civil rights office enforces federal employment civil rights laws internally across the department, and externally for beneficiaries of the agency’s financial assistance. As part of a broader trend of degrading civil rights enforcement across the federal government, targeting this office for deferred resignations will likely lead to lower capacity to address instances of employment discrimination in these areas.
Trump Nominates Carter Crow to be EEOC General Counsel
President Trump nominated Carter Crow to be General Counsel of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Crow is a Houston-based attorney whose career has focused on representing corporations in employment cases, with an emphasis on wage and hour claims. In a recent interview, Crow stated that he is “strongly supportive of all of the priorities” of EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.
Impact: The EEOC general counsel plays a critical role in enforcing our federal civil rights laws in the workplace. EEOC Chair Lucas and Commissioner Panuccio have made it clear that they see President Trump, not the law, as their highest authority. They have followed Trump's lead in targeting LGBTQ workers, immigrant workers, and more. If confirmed, Carter Crow must follow the law and the agency’s mission, not Trump, Lucas, and Panuccio. The Senate must scrutinize Crow’s record and hold him accountable to that responsibility.
Black Women Disproportionately Impacted By Trump Administration Layoffs and Policy Changes
Around 300,000 Black women have exited the labor force in the U.S. in the past three months driven largely by layoffs and policy changes under the Trump administration, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics and other experts.
Impact:
In addition to the mass firings and layoffs of federal workers, the Trump administration’s crackdown on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility has changed the workforce landscape in the corporate world, leading to large numbers of Black women leaving the workforce.
DOL Wage and Hour Division Releases Opinion Letter re: Family and Medical Leave Act Calculations
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division releases opinion letter to clarify application of federal labor standards for calculating Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave for correctional law enforcement workers under a “Pitman schedule” of work.
Impact:
Wage and Hour Division opinion letter FMLA2025-02-A indicates that in determining the appropriate amount of an employee’s FMLA leave entitlement, an employer may convert the workweek to its hourly equivalent in a manner that equitably reflects the employee’s total normally scheduled hours.
DOL Wage and Hour Division Releases Opinion Letter re: Joint Employment
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division releases opinion letter to clarify application of federal labor standards for joint employment at a hotel’s “members club” and restaurant.
Impact:
Wage and Hour Division opinion letter FLSA-2025-05 indicates that both the restaurant and members club are jointly liable for all aspects of FLSA compliance for its joint employment staff.
DOL Wage and Hour Division Releases Opinion Letter re: Emergency Pay for Firefighters and City Workers
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division releases opinion letter to clarify application of federal labor standards for “emergency pay” for firefighters and other city employees and overtime pay.
Impact:
Wage and Hour Division opinion letter FLSA2025-04 indicates that emergency pay for firefighters and other city employees at issue does not qualify as a discretionary bonus that may be excluded from an employee’s regular rate of pay.
DOL Wage and Hour Division Releases Opinion Letter re: Oyster Shuckers Tip Pool
DOL’s Wage and Hour Division releases opinion letter to clarify application of federal labor standards for "front of house" oyster shuckers.
Impact:
Wage and Hour Division opinion letter FLSA2025-03 indicates that employers may require employees for whom the employer takes a tip credit to share tips in a tip pool with the front-of-house oyster shuckers.
Trump Orders Payment of $100,000 for Any New Visas Issued to Foreign Workers in Certain Highly Skilled Professions
This payment is designed to try to stem abuse of this program and instead make sure employers make adequate efforts to fill the positions with people already living in the United States.
Impact: With the new fee applying only to new visas and not to existing visa holders, it remains to be seen just how effective the new policy will be.
Trump Issues “The Gold Card” Executive Order, Allowing People and Employers To Purchase Immigration Visas for $1 Million and $2 Million Respectively
Visas are very hard to come by, with many people waiting more than a decade to immigrate to the United States to escape oppressive conditions and be reunited with family members.
Impact: The United States will now start the unseemly practice of selling visas to those who can afford to spend exhorbitant amounts of money, rather than those who have waited in line and have compelling reasons to immigrate.
The Centers for Disease Control End Telework for Workers With Disabilities Who Need Reasonable Accommodations
The federal government is required to provide reasonable accommodations to workers with disabilities so they can perform their jobs. Often, teleworking is the most effective accommodation.
Impact: Once the current accommodations expire, workers with disabilities will find it much more difficult to continue working at the CDC, perhaps leading to further reductions in an already depleted and much needed workforce.