Welcome back to “This Week in Employee Relations,” your fast-scan digest of the employee relations headlines shaping policy, culture and compliance. Catch up in five minutes; walk into the week with the context — and the talking points — your organization expects.
Seasoned ER leaders, take note: This week brings fresh confrontation — with federal religious policy, stalled labor deals and subtle labor-market cooling. These aren’t distant headlines. They demand ER clarity, preparedness and foresight.
✈️ Union Friction Rises at United and Boeing
Flight attendants at United rejected a proposed labor contract, while more than 3,200 IAM-represented Boeing workers in St. Louis also voted down an agreement despite wage increases and bonuses. Talks are paused in both cases, raising strike concerns.
→ ER Insight: Whether it’s pilots, machinists or flight crews, failed labor votes often reflect more than dollars. Scheduling, fairness and transparency are driving trust gaps. For ER, this is a critical moment for issue tracking, manager coaching and supporting bargaining teams.
🏢 Trump Administration Allows Federal Employees to Proselytize at Work
A July 28 memo from the Office of Personnel Management now permits federal workers — including supervisors — to discuss and encourage colleagues to adopt their faith, display religious symbols and form prayer groups (as long as interactions aren’t harassing and occur outside official duties).
→ ER Insight: This is a major shift in acceptable workplace expression. ER teams need to revisit policies around religious expression, clarify harassment definitions and equip managers with scripting and documentation tools — areas where HR Acuity’s case management frameworks can help.
💼 U.S. Job Openings Fall as Hiring Slows in June
Labor Department data shows job openings dropped by ~275,000 to 7.44 million, and hiring also decreased — signaling a softening labor market.
→ ER Insight: When hiring slows, internal mobility and morale can become pressure points. Fewer external opportunities don’t always mean less movement — it can signal stalled growth, heavier workloads and burnout risk. For ER, it’s a moment to reinforce transparency, check in with teams and track any signs of disengagement before they turn into exits or issues.
⚖️ DOJ Releases DEI Guidance for Federal Contractors
On July 26, the U.S. Department of Justice issued guidance on how diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs can align with Title VII, offering examples of compliant practices and cautioning against quotas or race-based decision-making. The guidance emphasizes the importance of business-justified diversity efforts grounded in individual assessments.
→ ER Insight: This is a must-read for ER teams supporting government contractors or regulated industries. The guidance offers a framework to balance inclusive goals with legal risk. Now is a good time to review your DEI communications and ensure your documentation practices show intent, not outcomes, as the driver.
Four snapshots: Workplace faith enters a new ER zone, unions are pushing back harder, DEI is in the news again and macro hiring is subtly shifting. None are isolated. Curious how you’re aligning policy or documentation to these shifts — or what you’d like me to highlight next week?
We’re tracking the headlines so you can focus on what matters most: Early action, consistent resolution and a culture where everyone feels safe speaking up.
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