Over at Human Race Horses (great name, by the way), the author lists seven people whom he predicts will change HR in 2009. Among these key players are Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis (who supports the Green Jobs Act), and Deputy Assistant Secretary of OSHA Jordan Barab (who has worked in health and safety programs for over 25 years). How will these people change the HR landscape?

These people deal mostly with organized labor and unions, which have been steadily losing relevance in recent times. “Labor policy IS going to shift whether [Employee Free Choice Act] passes or not. Each of the people named above and the agencies they head have significant power when it comes to establishing labor policies, promulgating new regulations, rendering decisions on case law, or issuing executive orders. President Obama has begun the process with his extensive appointment of union-friendly agency heads, and their subordinates.”

These imminent changes may include
-Union organizing
-Increased penalties for employer unfair labor practice violations
-Targeted enforcement in safety, employment, and wage and hour laws

So, as I am an interested third party rather than an HR professional, would these potential policies have that big of an impact on the average HR department? Do you and your organization closely follow labor policy?

(Thanks to Recruitment 2.0 for the lead)