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.
Search tracker
Trump signs and Executive Order mandating English as the official language of the United States
This order rescinded a mandate put in place by President Clinton that federal agencies and other entities who receive federal funding make their services accessible to non-English speakers.
Impact:
Federal agencies and entities that receive federal funding now have discretion about whether or not they provide assistance and services in languages other than English. This could lead to people with limited English proficiency not being aware of their rights, or not being adequately assisted in receiving the rights and benefits to which they are legally entitled. It is yet another brute-force roll-back of the civil rights workers have fought so hard to attain.
Senate HELP Committee holds a confirmation hearing for Deputy Secretary of DOL nominee Keith Sonderling
The Deputy Secretary is essentially the Chief Operating Officer at DOL. If confirmed, Sonderling will have oversight over all substantive and administrative work at DOL, including Human Resources.
Impact:
At his hearing, Sonderling touted his support for the first Trump Administration's regulations on the joint employer standard and the definition of employees and independent contractors under the FLSA, both of which stacked the deck against workers. He was evasive about his involvement in any efforts of DOGE at DOL and the personnel decisions made thus far or contemplated for the future, and policies around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Trump administration Orders Removal of Transgender Military Members
Building off of Trump’s earlier Executive Order to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military, the Pentagon released a memo ordering transgender troops currently serving to be fired from the military within 60 days.
Impact:
Trump’s earlier Executive Order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military is currently being challenged by several lawsuits. This latest action goes further than the first Trump administration in that it seeks a complete purge of transgender military members currently serving as well as a ban. This order could result in as many as 15,000 service members being expelled from their jobs.
Six Federal Workers Reinstated to Jobs Marking First Successful Challenge to Trump Firings
Six probationary federal workers from six different federal government agencies will be reinstated to their jobs until at least April 10th, according to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the independent federal agency that hears employee complaints against the government.
Impact:
The MSPB has reinstated the workers to their positions for 45 days as the U.S. Office of Special Counsel investigates the seemingly illegal firings. This development underscores that even though these workers are probationary, they cannot simply be fired “at will” without just cause or due process. The six federal workers come from different agencies: the departments of Education, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management.
Trump administration revokes Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 500,000 Haitian people
Without TPS, these workers will lose their authorization to live and work in the United States and could be deported beginning in August.
Impact:
Haitian workers were granted TPS because of the dangerous conditions in Haiti, where over 5600 people were killed last year and over one million are homeless because of gang violence. Gangs reportedly control over 85% of Haiti's capital and people sent back will be exposed to life-threatening danger, homelessness, and a lack of jobs.
Senate HELP Committee Holds a Confirmation Hearing for Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer; On February 27, the Senate HELP Committee advances this nomination by a vote of 14-9
In her confirmation hearing, Rep. Chavez-DeRemer walks back her support for the PRO Act, pledges support for so-called "Right to Work" laws, pledges to review all of the Biden-era regulations, and says that if confirmed as Secretary of Labor, she has no right or ability to weigh in on the issue of raising the federal minimum wage.
Impact:
The Secretary of Labor, by the mission of DOL, is the nation's chief advocate for working people, who deserve a secretary that will put their needs first, not those of corporate America, the DOGE, or any other entity or person who is motivated by greed, or any other agenda that doesn't benefit workers first and foremost.
Updated 2/28/25
The Trump administration stops processing visas for immigrants who came to the United States lawfully from Latin American countries and Ukraine
The people seeking these visas were granted status to apply for them because of humanitarian reasons related to the conditions in their countries.
Impact:
While the exact number of impacted people is unknown, estimates are that thousands of workers who came to this country legally could lose their status and ability to live and work in the United States.
Under Trump, National Labor Relations Board Rescinds Policy Guidance on the Interaction Between the NLRA and Equal Employment Opportunity Laws
Trump-appointed leadership at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rescinded many of the policy memos issued by former NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. This rescinded memo (GC 25-04) dealt with instances when the protections for the right to organize provided by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) interact with the protections from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. These laws together form a critical framework that protects workers from exploitation, harassment, and discrimination, and enable workers to act and bargain collectively to prevent those workplace harms.
Impact:
General Counsel memos provide policy guidance to NLRB field staff, workers, and employers that indicates how the general counsel understands the law and plans to apply it. With the rescission of this memo by Acting General Counsel William Cowen, workers and employers will have less clarity on their rights and obligations under the law in these cases. Both labor and EEO laws are integral to ensuring dignity and safety at work, as well as the opportunity to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits.
Under Trump, National Labor Relations Board Rescinds Policy Guidance on Protections for Immigrant Workers
Trump-appointed leadership at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rescinded many of the policy memos issued by former NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. This rescinded memo (GC 22-01) instructed NLRB officials to pursue every avenue available to them in cases where the rights of undocumented workers to organize are violated, so that employers faced penalties for breaking the law and workers could get the relief to which they are entitled under the law. Union organizing is a critical tool for undocumented workers to fight back against wage theft, unsafe workplaces, and other forms of exploitation on the job.
Impact:
General Counsel memos provide policy guidance to NLRB field staff, workers, and employers that indicates how the general counsel understands the law and plans to apply it. With the rescission of this memo by Acting General Counsel William Cowen, undocumented workers will be more vulnerable to exploitation and retaliation by unscrupulous employers. And all workers will be worse off, because exploitation of any group of workers drives down standards for all workers.
Under Trump, National Labor Relations Board Rescinds Policy Guidance on Employer Use of Bossware Systems
Trump-appointed leadership at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rescinded many of the policy memos issued by former NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. This rescinded memo (GC 23-02) sought to address the use of intrusive workplace surveillance and algorithmic management systems to disrupt workers right to organize.
Impact:
General Counsel memos provide policy guidance to NLRB field staff, workers, and employers that indicates how the general counsel understands the law and plans to apply it. With the rescission of this memo, workers will be more vulnerable to union-busting efforts aided by sophisticated surveillance systems - just one of numerous harms that electronic surveillance and algorithmic management cause to workers .