HR Policy’s Senior Labor and Employment Counsel Roger King fielded questions on a variety of labor and employment law and policy topics in the second edition of the Association’s new Ask Me Anything series.
The discussion began with a comprehensive preview of Biden’s labor policy agenda. Mr. King highlighted President Biden’s self-characterization as the “most labor-friendly President ever,” and discussed the impact that a number of high-ranking progressive appointees, such as Marty Walsh, Jenny Yang, and Julie Su, will have on achieving the administration’s ambitious labor and employment agenda.
“We expect a big pendulum swing back towards labor interests,” said King. He noted several areas where employers could expect significant policy changes, including worker misclassification, labor relations, pay equity, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. King observed that even in the absence of major legislation being passed, many changes could be imposed on federal contractors through executive orders.
Also addressed were a number of return-to-work questions and topics. Mr. King weighed the pros and cons of employers mandating or merely encouraging vaccines for employees and the associated legal considerations, as well as incentive strategies employers could utilize to have employees vaccinated. King noted that while mandating vaccination is likely legal, employers might be better served offering incentives instead, and that such decisions may vary among industries and companies.
Outlook: These policy issues and more will be addressed in greater depth during next week’s HR Policy 2021 CHRO Summit. For more information on this year’s CHRO Summit and registration details, click here.
