HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update

December 18, 2025

Hey there, HR pros. Federal government employees have had a rocky 2025, bookended by widespread layoffs and the longest shutdown in history. Jobs with Uncle Sam aren’t looking nearly as stable as they once did, but the Trump administration is nevertheless trying to lure tech talent from companies like IBM, Microsoft, and Nvidia to perform stints in the government for two years through a new initiative called Tech Force.

The program certainly seems like it could pose a challenge for HR pros working in big tech, who will have to figure out what happens to workers’ compensation packages while they’re collecting a salary from the government.

In today’s edition:

Steadfast strategy

Legislative lowdown

Uncertainty ahead

—Mikaela Cohen, Courtney Vinopal, Caroline Nihill

DEI

Standing strong

A Parthenon-style building with DEI as 3 of the pillars.

Credit: Morning Brew Design, Photo: Adobe Stock

Corporate America’s relationship with DEI has been hot and cold.

The US has a decades-long history with DEI. Following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, many companies established or renewed efforts to rectify racial inequalities in their workplaces. But since then, some of those same companies have changed course, as the political and social tides have turned.

“Everyone invested in 2020. Everyone wanted to stand on a podium to say, ‘This is what we believe in,’ but I believe that the fallout happened because those efforts weren’t real. They weren’t authentic,” said Rita Parker, chief diversity and inclusion officer at information management firm Access.

Parker started in an operations role at Access in January 2020. When the Peabody, Massachusetts-based company with over 2,700 employees created a new diversity and inclusion leader role in 2022, Parker said she quickly raised her hand.

“Our CEO, at the time, decided, ‘Hey, I’m going to put a stake in the ground to show people we are all about diversity,’” she told HR Brew. “I decided I would raise my hand to do something totally different, because I have a passion for people. I’ve led people all of my career, and I have a passion for people feeling valued and included.”

For more on how Parker is sustaining DEI efforts at Access, keep reading here.—MC

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COMPLIANCE

Legislative lowdown

Francis Scialabba

In recent years a number of states have moved to rein in AI by passing laws that regulate usage of the technology in different facets of everyday life, including the workplace. President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to weaken this legislation, but any major changes to the regulatory landscape would likely require Congress to act.

Push for a “national policy framework.” The president criticized the current regulatory landscape for AI regulation in a Dec. 11 executive order. The current patchwork of state and local laws, he said, “makes compliance more challenging, particularly for start-ups.” He also called out certain laws for “ideological bias,” singling out Colorado’s algorithmic discrimination law, which was passed in 2024 but hasn’t yet taken effect.

The executive order calls on the attorney general to develop an AI Litigation Task Force to review state AI laws and flag any deemed unconstitutional, unlawful, or preempted by federal regulations. States that don’t comply with the order may lose federal funding to develop broadband networks. Trump is also calling on White House officials to recommend legislation for a uniform federal AI policy that would preempt state laws.

What this means for HR. While a national AI policy could potentially reduce compliance headaches for HR pros currently working to comply with rules across different jurisdictions, the road to passing such legislation in Congress looks long.

For more on what HR needs to know about a potential national AI policy, keep reading here.—CV

RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Break it down

Greggory Disalvo/Getty Images

In 2025, the Trump administration targeted the IT industry’s use of the H-1B visa program. Companies were subjected to a $100,000 one-time fee for sponsoring a potential employee, and contractors relying on the visa received additional scrutiny.

In 2026, things aren’t likely to settle down, according to experts, who anticipate issues over the cap exemption criteria changes, a weighted selection for the H-1B lottery, and additional scrutiny of third-party work sites.

Cecilia Esterline, a senior immigration policy analyst at the Niskanen Center, a bipartisan thinktank in Washington, DC, told IT Brew that all of the proposed changes to the H-1B are concerning, and may reduce employers’ willingness to sponsor an employee from overseas.

“Now there’s this uncertainty and unpredictability that has been introduced into an otherwise somewhat predictable program,” Esterline said.

For more on what to expect from H-1B changes in 2026, keep reading on IT Brew.—CN

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WORK PERKS

A desktop computer plugged into a green couch.

Francis Scialabba

Today’s top HR reads.

Stat: Nearly all Fortune 50 companies publicly disclose employee resource groups (ERGs), despite persistent scrutiny surrounding DEI. Forty-eight of these firms publicized their ERGs at the end of this year, up from 46 in 2024. (Bloomberg)

Quote: “Behavior considered contrary to the company’s values and code of conduct may have adverse reputational [effects] on the company…Today, there is rarely such a thing as truly ‘private’ online spaces.”—Megan Smith, head of people and culture for SAP Americas, explains why the company asks workers to exercise caution when sharing their personal views on the internet (the Washington Post)

Read: A surge in federal employees taking retirement has created an administrative backlog that’s overwhelming HR departments at government agencies. (Federal News Network)

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Written by Mikaela Cohen, Courtney Vinopal, and Caroline Nihill

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