With the change in administration, as well as some changes toward the end of the Biden administration, safety professionals are wondering what next year will look like.
Todd Logsdon and Kristin White of Fisher Phillips offer their insights. (Excerpted below)
Employers Will Face Greater Scrutiny Thanks to Public Data Release
The Biden-era OSHA got in one last jolt by publishing comprehensive details on nearly 900,000 reported workplace injuries and illnesses recorded by the agency in 2023 – which means employers will face increased scrutiny in 2025. While we don’t expect Trump’s OSHA to do the same in the coming year, the horse is already out of the barn for many employers. You should brace for more detailed benchmarking against peers, potential media scrutiny, union interest, and increased expectations from employees and regulators. (Fsiher Phillips' gameplan for employers.)
Trump’s OSHA Will Undo Biden-Era Safety Rules
Safety professionals can expect several key changes from the Trump administration. Even though Trump surprised the business community by nominating union advocate Lori Chavez-DeRemer to lead the Department of Labor, we still expect the new administration to put electronic submission requirements back on the shelf. We also predict we’ll say goodbye to the new union walkaround rule – either by agency or court action.
DOGE Leaders Will Suggest Significant OSHA Cuts
Trump’s new DOGE initiative (which, despite its name, will not be an official government agency) will take off early this year, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. To even come close to the goal of reducing the federal budget by “at least $2 trillion,” you can bet on recommendations for big slashes to federal agencies – including significant reductions to OSHA’s overall headcount and to the number of compliance, safety, and health officers.
OSHA State Plans Will Continue to Ramp Up Safety Initiatives
Last year saw states take significant action to boost workplace safety standards – and we expect there to be a lot of state-level action in 2025 as well. California passed a groundbreaking workplace violence prevention program among its slew of new workplace safety laws. New York followed by requiring retail employers to implement workplace violence prevention measures. Nevada finalized its own heat safety rule, as did Maryland. And Kentucky was just one of several states that adopted an emergency regulation in line with federal OSHA’s new walkaround rule – so even if the federal standard is repealed or struck down, you’ll need to check with your own state to see if you are still face with similar requirements.
Read the full list of predictions as well as more analysis at FP’s Workplace Law Forecast 2025