HR leaders, employment law experts, and organized labor are preparing for a shift in political priorities impacting the workplace. Former President Biden often referred to himself as the “most pro-union president in history,” but as a new era of Department of Labor leaders take on top posts at the federal agencies designed to protect workers and oversee union activity, some are expecting an about face.

The US senate on Monday confirmed (67-32) Labor Sec. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the DOL, with the support of 17 Democrats from the Upper Chamber. Former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioner Keith Sonderling is awaiting Senate confirmation to serve as Chavez-DeRemer’s top deputy. And President Trump in February tapped Elisabeth Messenger to lead the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the agency that enforces union financial reporting and transparency.

The US Chamber of Commerce’s head of government affairs, Rodney Davis, a former Republican lawmaker from Illinois, expects a “sea change” when it comes to the government’s approach to the workplace.

Keep reading here.—AD

Paid leave programs set to take effect in two different states over the next year may be delayed due to efforts by lawmakers and government officials.

Business leaders and Republicans serving in Minnesota’s state legislature are seeking to modify a paid family leave program set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, while Maryland labor officials may delay the implementation of a similar program slated to start in July.

Critics of Minnesota’s program expressed concern about the economic and logistical impact paid family leave will have on some businesses, while Maryland’s labor secretary cited instability created by the Trump administration’s policies targeting the federal workforce.

Keep reading here.—CV

Tech unemployment went up in January, but there are still a lot of jobs to be had—though filling those positions might require some creativity.

That’s what Crystal Morin, a cybersecurity strategist at Sysdig, told IT Brew recently. To Morin, fears about a talent shortage are overblown—with the proper training and upskilling and a more open pool of applicants, the deficit isn’t so intimidating, she believes.

“I like to call it a skills gap, because I don’t think there’s a shortage of people, necessarily—I think there’s plenty of people out there on the job market that we could bring into cybersecurity,” Morin said. “They just might not necessarily have the skills that line up with these half a million jobs.”

Keep reading on IT Brew.—EH