HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

March 13, 2025

Hey there, HR pros. Whatever you feel about trade wars, we can’t help but anticipate how tariffs might affect our workday, bringing up the cost of everything from the cars we commute in to our desk lunch. Pour one out for that six-pack of beer you and your coworker keep stashed away in the office for a rainy day—it could get pricier soon.

In today’s issue:

Foggy future

Legislative lowdown

Skills shortage

—Adam DeRose, Courtney Vinopal, Eoin Higgins

COMPLIANCE

Labor pains

Elisabeth Messenger, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Keith Sonderling

US DOL, US House of Representatives, US EEOC

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

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COMPLIANCE

Legislative lowdown

Francis Scialabba

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

Together With AbsenceSoft

On the rise. ADA accommodation requests are rising for the second year in a row—and the requests are changing. Join experts from AbsenceSoft and JAN on March 25 for a webinar all about evaluating requests, creating a proactive accommodation strategy, and ensuring compliance. Earn SHRM CEU credits for attending. RSVP here.

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Mind the gap

Anna Kim

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

Together With Firstup

From random messages to real results. Don’t settle for random acts of communication with your employees. Tune in to Firstup’s interactive demo on March 20 to learn how to build personalized campaign flows that drive employees to action. All with real-time visibility. Transform how your workforce communicates + see Firstup in action.

WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: The average workday is getting shorter, ending at 4:39pm, compared to 5:21pm two years ago. At the same time, workers are getting more done, with the average productive session increasing from 20 to 24 minutes. (ActivTrak)

Quote: “This motivates lying and self-preservation…Fear is not effective management—it inhibits learning, problem solving and teamwork.”— Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School, on the potential downsides of asking employees to share “five things” they did at work each week (the Washington Post)

Read: Johns Hopkins University plans to lay off workers after the Trump administration canceled $800 million in grants tied to its work with the US Agency for International Development. (the Wall Street Journal)

Train your whole team on AI: Section’s ProfAI is a personalized, AI-powered coach that helps upskill your team, train ’em with personalized use cases, + grant AI certification.. Check out a live demo on March 18.*

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JOBS

Looking for a job where your values and skills are understood? CollabWORK links you with roles curated within trusted communities, from niche Slack workspaces to industry newsletters like HR Brew. Discover new roles without the job-board fatigue—join CollabWORK today, or click here to browse jobs chosen for HR Brew readers.

ServiceNow HR Service Delivery (HRSD) at Comprehensive Resources Inc (hybrid)
Human Resources Generalist (Bilingual) at Darnel Group (in person)
Executive Recruiter, Marketing & Creative at LHH (hybrid)

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