The Workplace Policy Institute at Littler Mendelson released its Policy Week in Review on April 17, outlining recent federal legislative and regulatory actions that impact the workplace.
This update is significant as it covers major developments including White House nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), congressional activity on immigration policy, and hearings related to labor protections and artificial intelligence.
According to the review, the White House announced on April 13 that James Macy from the U.S. Department of Labor has been nominated to fill a Republican seat on the NLRB, previously held by Marvin Kaplan. Additionally, current Democratic board member David Prouty was renominated for another five-year term. If confirmed by the Senate, these appointments would maintain a quorum at the NLRB and give Republicans a majority until December 2027 when Chair James Murphy’s term ends.
In other legislative action, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution on April 16 extending temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian migrants for three years. The measure advanced through a discharge petition led by Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and passed with bipartisan support. It now moves to the Senate where its future remains uncertain. The administration had previously moved to end TPS for Haitians in February 2025.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration updated its National Emphasis Program focusing agency resources such as inspections on industries where heat hazards are most common; this revised program takes effect immediately and will last five years.
Additionally, congressional subcommittees held hearings examining artificial intelligence’s economic impact on workers as well as reviewing policies overseen by the Employee Benefits Security Administration regarding employer-provided benefit plans.
