Employers Expect Few Policy Changes As Trump Administration Positions Remain Vacant

A new survey by the Littler law firm finds the majority of employers expect only a moderate change in enforcement and interpretation of the various employment laws at the federal level over the next year, in part because of the delay in filling vacant leadership positions in key agencies.  Throughout the administration, of the 553 positions that require Senate confirmation, 83 percent do not have a nominee named yet, including 15 of 16 leadership positions at the Department of Labor.  According to the 2017 Littler Annual Employer Survey, despite the change in administrations, "for most regulatory issues, the percentage of [employers] who anticipate an impact on their workplace over the next year remains relatively unchanged from last year's survey."  Michael Lotito, co-chair of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute, said: "Given the general climate of uncertainty and delays in appointments to government agencies, employers likely expect it to take time before they start to see how the president’s agenda is carried out and personally feel an impact in their workplaces."  Moreover, when it comes to making real changes to regulatory and enforcement policy, the delay in filling vital lower-profile political appointments that do not require Senate confirmation continues to have a serious impact on President Trump's ability to quickly put his promises into action.