President Trump wasted no time during his first week in office to make significant appointments at two key federal agencies with jurisdiction over employment policy. On January 25, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that the president had designated Republican Commissioner Victoria Lipnic as the new acting chair of the agency, in essence demoting former Democratic Chair Jenny Yang. The next day, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced that the president had designated Republican member Philip Miscimarra as acting chair of the agency, displacing former Democratic Chair Mark Pearce.
Beyond these two key appointments, however, the new administration’s primary focus during the first week has not been on labor and employment policy issues or the government agencies responsible for implementing them. Still, these issues are almost certain to be addressed in the weeks ahead, and there are some signs of what is to come. For example, the administration has announced a detailed review of recent Obama-era regulations, and has begun to place lower-level political appointees in key agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL).
To that end, NT Lakis attorneys and non-attorney professionals have created a guide summarizing these early developments, and what they may signal for the future.
Members of the Equal Employment Advisory Council (EEAC) can read more here.