https://www.uschamber.com/employment-policy

Employment Policy

The Employment Policy division regularly interacts with Congressional staff, numerous Federal agencies and many national coalitions (some of which are chaired by the Chamber) to help define and shape national labor, immigration and employee benefit policy.

Employment Policy Priorities

Commonsense Immigration Reform

Commonsense immigration reform will boost economic growth, create jobs, and spur innovation and entrepreneurship. It will also reaffirm America's legacy of being an open and welcoming country where anyone who works hard and follows the rules can achieve his or her dreams.

Throughout our history, America has attracted and welcomed the most talented and the hardest working people to our shores. But today our immigration system is broken and failing to meet the needs of our society, our economy, our businesses, and our workers.

To help advance comprehensive reform that includes border security, the Chamber's Employment Policy division provides leadership to a broad coalition including businesses, labor, law enforcement, the faith-based community, and various immigrant-advocacy organizations.

Though there may be several different approaches to fixing our system, meaningful and lasting reform can only be achieved through bipartisan legislation, which is the ultimate goal of the Chamber’s immigration program.

Learn more about what the Chamber is doing on immigration.

Department of Labor

The U.S. Chamber believes the Department of Labor (DOL) must partner with both employers and employees to effectively advance the goals of the wide array of laws it administers and enforces.

The DOL oversees such diverse areas as minimum wage, overtime, worker safety in general industry as well as mining, federal contractor compliance with affirmative action requirements, employee leave requirements under the Family and Medical Leave Act, labor union financial accountability, and contractor wage payments on federally funded or supported construction and service jobs. Employees depend on the Department to safeguard their rights, while employers look to the DOL for information and guidance on meeting their obligations.

The Employment Policy Division works with many of DOL’s component agencies including the Wage and Hour Division, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, and the Office of the Solicitor.

Learn more about what we're doing on DOL issues.

Restoring Common Sense at the NLRB

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) was created in 1935 to be a neutral arbiter in the field of labor law.

During the Obama administration, however, the agency engaged in an aggressive one-sided agenda aimed at growing labor unions at any cost. Rather than act as an impartial referee, it issued many decisions that overturned decades of well settled precedents intended to give unions an advantage in organizing campaigns.

Restoring the appropriate balance to labor law will provide much-needed stability, and certainty for American businesses and workers.

Fortunately, the NLRB has new members, including Chairman John Ring and a new General Counsel, who have already begun the work of revisiting Obama-era precedents.

Learn more about what we're doing on issues related to NLRB.

Protecting Retirement Security

The Employment Policy Division is committed to protecting the retirement security of America’s workforce, and promoting policies that will continue the success of the private retirement system.

We seek to maintain a sound legal framework that encourages employers to offer retirement plans, address the demographic challenges facing the system, and encourage innovation and flexibility to help the private retirement system reach additional types of workers.

Learn more about what we're doing on retirement issues.

State Labor Issues

Advocates of increased regulation are not satisfied with just pursuing action at the federal level. They have also taken their agenda to state and even local government.

In the process, they are creating a patchwork of different standards that multi-state employers can find difficult to meet. Significant state and local regulations include:

Minimum Wage
Misclassification
Wage Theft
Paid Leave
Regulating Pre-Employment Inquiries
Equal Pay
Labor Peace
Predictive Scheduling
Opportunity to Work
Overtime

Learn more about what we're doing on the state level.

Recent Activity

ArticleJul 19, 2018 - 2:00pm

U.S. Capitol dome seen through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.

Labor’s Wish-List Bill Introduced

With the economy kicking into high gear, it seems an odd time for a handful of legislators to introduce a bill that would throw a wrench...

Michael Billet

EventJul 19, 2018 - 8:00am to 12:00pm

Raising Retirement

Raising Retirement will highlight current successes of the private retirement system and will focus on regulatory and practical solutions that increase retirement plan coverage by small business plan sponsors, promote portable benefits, and explore other benefits that can help workers stay on track for retirement.

LetterJul 18, 2018 - 4:45pm

Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

This letter was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security ahead of the Subcommittee’s markup of the Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill tomorrow morning.

ArticleJul 18, 2018 - 11:00am

Not so goodbye: DOL Persuader Rule Rescinded

After proposing it seven years ago, the U.S. Department of Labor today formally rescinded its so-called “persuader rule”...

Sean P. Redmond

Above the FoldJul 16, 2018 - 1:30pm

Mother sitting on couch with her two young children.

Both Employers and Employees Get Benefits Under the Workflex in the 21st Century Act

The bill relies on incentives to employers rather than mandates.

Marc Freedman

LetterJul 10, 2018 - 4:30pm

Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill

This letter was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee ahead of their markup of the Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill tomorrow morning.

ArticleJun 28, 2018 - 9:30am

Debate in D.C., Not at Disneyland

A batch of Democratic lawmakers from Washington, D.C. recently weighed in on an economic issue most prominently raised by the Fight for $15.

Glenn Spencer

LetterJun 27, 2018 - 8:00pm

Joint Letter to Expand the IRS Self-Correction Program

On Tuesday, June 26th the Chamber, along with several trade associations, sent a joint letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden. The joint letter is in support of the legislative proposal to expand the self-correction program be added to the Internal Revenue Service.

LetterJun 27, 2018 - 3:45pm

Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill

This letter was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee ahead of their markup of the Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill tomorrow morning.

LetterJun 25, 2018 - 8:30pm

Joint Letter to EBSA Regarding Missing and Unresponsive Participants and Beneficiaries

On June 25, 2018, the Chamber, along with several other trade assoicaitons, signed a joint letter to Employee Benefits Security Administration Assistant Secretary Preston Rutledge regarding missing and unresponsive participants.