Apr 17, 2025

<!doctypehtml>HR Brew // Morning Brew // Update body, table, tr, td, h1, h2, h3, h4, p, a, span{font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;}.stb-ref-count{background-color: issue.primary_color;}.link{color: issue.primary_color !important; text-decoration: underline !important;}.disclaimer{font-size:8px;} NLRB battle affects labor board’s future. <!- --> April 17, 2025View Online | Sign Up presented by Welcome aboard, HR pros. The days when you could board a plane and remain blissfully unaware of work emails look like they’re over at American Airlines, which announced it will finally offer free Wi-Fi on most of its flights starting January 2026. Enjoy being unreachable up in those friendly skies while you still can. In today’s edition: Legislative lowdown Bad medicine Uphill climb —Courtney Vinopal, Kristen Parisi <! -- --><! -- -->COMPLIANCE Legislative lowdown Francis Scialabba The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) lost its three-person quorum once again after the Supreme Court stayed board member Gwynne Wilcox’s reinstatement on Apr. 9. Wilcox, who was nominated to serve a second term on the board by President Joe Biden last year, lost her job when Donald Trump took office and fired her in February. Wilcox sued the president, arguing her removal was unconstitutional, and has since been reinstated twice by a federal district court in Washington, DC, rulings which the DC Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld. The latest turn in the legal back-and-forth over Wilcox’s removal occurred on Apr. 9, when the nation’s highest court granted a motion for a stay of the first district court decision reinstating her. It’s likely that the Supreme Court will decide the fate of Wilcox’s job. For more on this head-spinning NLRB dispute and how it could impact HR, keep reading here.—CV     presented by Franklin Templeton Employees have ~spoken~ Looking to better understand today’s workforce? HR leaders do this pretty much every day, which means resources that provide comprehensive, up-to-date data are always welcome. And that’s why Franklin Templeton’s annual Voice of the American Workplace survey exists. Key findings include: 76% of American workers believe mental health support has become an increasingly important benefit for them.81% of American employers think their benefit budget will need significant updates in the next 12 months.88% of American employers say that even with unclear options elsewhere, employees are willing to leave if they aren’t happy. Understanding your employees is critical, and the Voice of the American Workplace survey brings 2025’s concerns and opinions into one space. Read ’em all. Source: Franklin Templeton-Harris Poll. TOTAL REWARDS An incomplete pricing picture Subman/Getty Images Despite recent efforts to lower the price of US prescription drugs, most Americans are still worried about affording them, according to a KFF poll. Several lawsuits highlight employers’ role negotiating health plan contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that include pricey prescription drugs, and seek to hold them accountable under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The most recent lawsuit was filed by JPMorgan employees on Mar. 13, alleging the company mismanaged its health plan benefit funds, leading to higher healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket drug costs. In one example cited in the complaint, the multiple sclerosis drug teriflunomide was priced at $6,229 (for one 30-day prescription) under JPMorgan’s plan, which was negotiated with CVS Caremark, even though it could be purchased for as little as $29 through ShopRite Pharmacy. For more on the litigation landscape involving health plan contracts, keep reading here.—CV     DEI The LGBTQ+ work experience Anna Kim Despite progress in recent decades, support for the LGBTQ+ community has declined in recent years, and LGBTQ+ professionals face hurdles that can impact their productivity and ability to show up authentically at work, a new study finds. Transgender workers, in particular, often lack support from other professionals, and increased political attacks on the group could cause further harm to the community at large. The Pride Under Pressure report was conducted by the think tank Coqual, and examined the experiences of LGBTQ+ workers from five countries, including the US. The organization believes that as LGBTQ+ workers face more attacks from some parts of the government, they need more support from private businesses. While the Supreme Court ruled in its 2020 Bostock v.. Clayton County, Georgia opinion that discrimination against LGBTQ+ employees is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the community still faces several barriers at work. For more on the barriers the LGBTQ+ community is still facing at work, keep reading here.—KP     Together With Gem The talented AI recruiter. Welcome to talent acquisition in 2025, where AI sourcing can help empower recruiters. Gem found 76% of recruiters are turning to AI to stay competitive, so don’t get left in the digital dust. Learn to implement this powerful tech for good with Gem’s latest e-book here. WORK PERKS FrancisFrancis Today’s top HR reads.Stat: Most CHROs (69%) have become “moderately” or "significantly" more engaged with the board at their companies. (the Conference Board)Quote: “I don’t think that it is doable for these corporations to pick up a manufacturing facility from Mexico or Canada and fly it over here and set it in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana and say, ‘Boom, we’re ready to go next week.’”—Denny Butler, a United Auto Workers local union vice president, on why he’s skeptical that tariffs will bring jobs back to the US right away. (the Washington Post)Read: The Department of Government Efficiency attempted to access National Labor Relations Board data that may have included sensitive details about unions, ongoing legal cases, and proprietary corporate data, according to a whistleblower. (NPR) Talk to me: Employees have, actually, in the Voice of the American Workplace survey courtesy of Franklin Templeton. HR pros: See what employees have to say in 2025 and what you can do about it.**A message from our sponsor. JOBS Looking for a job where your values and skills are understood? 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