woperators and leaders alike have begun to grapple with the implications for the future of work of a second Trump presidency, with likely impacts in areas including workers’ rights, diversity, equity and inclusionand access to healthcare and affordability. We reached out to six experts for their predictions about the biggest changes for jobs and workers, as well as their advice for the coming months. Here are their responses, edited for length and clarity:

Now is the time to double down on policies that make the workforce more resilient in the long term.

Dr. Angela Jackson
Founder of the Future Forward Institute and author of The Win-Win Workplace: How Thriving Employees Drive Success

I would like to focus on how workplaces can take advantage of this period of change to build resilience and maintain long-term success. While we may face regulatory changes and increased scrutiny around DEI and labor standards, these challenges provide leaders with a unique opportunity to deepen their commitment to supportive, purpose-driven environments.

A key insight from my research is that organizations with strong employee support and inclusive practices are 25% more likely to see above-average performance in key metrics, including lower employee turnover rates, higher productivity levels, scores improved employee engagement and reduced absenteeism rates.

Leaders who focus on measuring and tracking these key performance outcomes (KPOs) that align with business objectives can directly connect employee well-being to organizational success, ensuring that a resilient, inclusive culture translates into measurable and sustained impact . Ultimately, leaders who prioritize the values ​​that unify their teams, foster open dialogue, and focus on these core values ​​will create workplaces that can withstand uncertainty. Preparing now by strengthening this culture and connecting results to business goals will enable organizations to remain adaptable, engaged and positioned for growth.

The Trump administration will try to roll back efforts at diversity, equity, and inclusion — and that’s bad for workers and businesses.

Fatima Goss Graves
President and CEO, National Women’s Law Center

If past is prologue, we can expect the Trump administration to try to close the door on equal opportunity in the workplace — especially for women of color and other women of color who disproportionately face systemic barriers due to racism and sexism . The goal of programs that promote diversity and equity is to ensure that everyone who has skills and talent has a fair chance to succeed in the workplace, not just those who share the same experience as the boss or who are well connected.

It’s ironic that these programs are under attack because the routine discrimination and harassment workers face actually undermines businesses’ ability to meet their goals, not to mention their bottom lines. Any administration that claims to want to improve the economy should also aim to eliminate the discrimination and harassment that closes the door to talented workers. Instead, the Trump administration is likely to make it harder for businesses to take the steps that allow their workers to thrive and their businesses to succeed.

Regardless of who is president, longstanding federal civil rights laws require businesses to ensure equal access to employment opportunities. This should be the focus of any organization – and programs focused on diversity, equity and inclusion continue to be an essential tool for employers in achieving this goal. I urge employers to stand up for the workforce and stand up for equity. They can speak publicly about the benefits of equity and inclusion that serve not only employees but their bottom line. They can get involved with elected officials, peers and professional associations. And they can recommit to effective practices that increase employee confidence, such as adopting policies and practices that promote pay equity, including pay audits and pay transparency practices.

Pause to think strategically about policies, guidelines and internal communications in the uncertain months ahead.

Lauren Winans
CEO and Senior HR Consultant of Next Level Benefits

There are moves that will be made with this administration that could lead to labor shortages, unintended increases in inflation, and changing job dynamics. We could see mass deportations and visa restrictions. We will see labor regulations change: hourly labor may be classified a little differently, overtime pay regulations may change, and unions may be affected by new labor policies.

Employers will have more available, so this is a great time to stop and reposition yourself. How can we be strategic? How can we be transparent in our communication? How can we ensure that guidelines and policies are in place and that people know about them? Sometimes we HR professionals often get into the bad habit of not communicating until we know something, and the absence of messaging causes people to make up their own stories about how something might happen. My recommendation would be to communicate often and also communicate the unknown. As the year winds down, say something like, “We’re looking at a variety of different ways we can improve the employee experience. Changes in legislation or changes in various aspects of the economy will not be something that will affect us immediately, but if there is an impact we will let you know immediately. We learn as we go, as changes occur around us.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work is about to become even more complicated, but more essential than ever.

David Glasgow
Executive Director, NYU Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Trump’s presidency is likely to make an already challenging DEI landscape even more difficult. President-elect Trump will almost certainly appoint federal judges, including new Supreme Court justices, who continue to push DEI law in a conservative direction. He is also likely to renew or expand an executive order he issued toward the end of his first term purporting to prohibit federal contractors from engaging in certain forms of DEI. Such an order may be challenged in court. Finally, I expect his administration to implement some of the Project 2025 agenda items related to DEI, such as eliminating DEI programs within the federal government and taking enforcement action against companies that engage in forms of DEI that are disfavored by anti-DEI activists.

I would recommend that leaders help their colleagues and employees improve their legal knowledge so that they can continue to confidently advance the work of DEI. When faced with such a head-on attack on DEI, many people will be tempted to retreat in fear. But there are plenty of legitimate DEI activities that are beyond the reach of a hostile presidency, such as work that removes biases from domestic politics or work that benefits everyone, including programs based on concepts such as alliance, psychological safety, authenticity, inclusive leadership . , or intercultural competence.

Now is the time to equip leaders with the knowledge to differentiate between risky and safe forms of DEI, so that pro-DEI organizations can serve as a bastion and safe haven for marginalized workers under the next administration.

Carers need employers to step up and support childcare, paid leave and other care policies.

Reshma Saujani
Founder and CEO, Moms First

The economy – and the economic pain families are feeling – has been the defining issue of this election. This is no surprise to us at Moms First – child care costs more than rent in all 50 states. And the lack of accessible and affordable care isn’t just a burden on families—US companies lose $23 billion annually due to absenteeism, turnover, and decreased productivity, resulting in a $122 billion impact dollars on our national economy. When working parents struggle to provide reliable childcare, companies lose valuable talent, see lower productivity and experience higher turnover.

This problem is not going away. Nearly 100,000 Americans are forced to stay home from work each month due to childcare issues, making childcare a clear economic imperative.

Private sector leaders have a responsibility to act now. First, in their own backyards by investing in child care and paid leave benefits for their employees and communities, and second, to use their influence to ensure that child care is prioritized by the next congress and administration. Child care is a highly bipartisan policy that benefits us all, from families to businesses to our economy, and we at Moms First look forward to mobilizing business leaders to ensure that the public sector and the private one works together to implement pragmatic and bold solutions. to our childcare crisis.

A push to deregulate the economy means employers have a role in empowering workers and reasserting their rights.

Michael Posner
Director, NYU Center for Business and Human Rights

The president-elect has made it clear that he wants to shrink the size of the federal government and lift regulations. This will almost certainly mean reduced federal oversight of the workplace, fewer resources to oversee workplace safety, and less protection for the efforts of workers and unions to organize. The new administration will also oppose continued efforts by companies to promote greater diversity in the workplace.

First, leaders should implement systems to monitor workers’ rights violations, document abuses, and develop means to widely disseminate these findings. Second, they must redouble their efforts to ensure that workers know their rights under the law and the remedies available. These remedies may include internal company procedures and state or federal laws that may be enforced in court. Third, leaders should build on the experiences of the coming months to develop an affirmative reform agenda for the future and, in collaboration with others, advance a decent work agenda as part of future political campaigns and elections.

Read “What’s Next for Jobs After the Election” by Charter Editor-in-Chief Kevin Delaney Here.

Read us guide to support employees following the election.