HR Professionals Concerned About Impact of Executive Orders

Many HR professionals are concerned about the implications of President Donald Trump’s January executive orders (EOs) related to inclusion and diversity (I&D) and other workplace issues, according to SHRM’s February 2025 Current Events Pulse Research survey. About 2,000 respondents, surveyed between Feb. 7 and Feb. 12, 2025, cited impacts on their jobs, workplaces, and mental well-being.

Over half of HR professionals said that EOs related to DEI (55%), national security and immigration (54%), and government operations and accountability (54%) had negatively impacted their mental health.

Other Key Findings

• Many respondents foresaw negative consequences from the EOs, particularly regarding DEI (33%), economic policy (29%), government operations and accountability (29%), and national security and immigration (28%). 

• Many HR professionals had no plans to adapt their organizational policies or initiatives significantly. The vast majority (85%) said their organizations either had not made, or did not plan to make, changes to I&D initiatives. More than 91% said the same about national security and immigration policies.

• The EOs are expected to make the HR job function more challenging. About 65% of professionals anticipate their roles becoming more difficult in the next six months, with only 8% foreseeing their tasks becoming easier.  

• Despite these challenges, about 44% of HR professionals said they were extremely or very confident in their organization’s ability to adapt to changes mandated by the EOs, while 33% were moderately confident. However, there is still some skepticism, as 23% said they were either not confident at all or slightly confident.

Insights for HR Professionals and Their Organizations

As HR professionals navigate the impacts of the EOs, including any adverse effects on their mental health, they should take advantage of resources their companies offer to help them respond to these developments. By using their organization’s mental health care benefits, HR professionals can develop the tools they need to manage the stress of a rapidly evolving industry.

HR professionals must also be proactive and communicate clearly during this time, experts said. They should meet with their people managers to discuss the EOs and their implications to minimize stress and confusion.

“Determine what these things mean and what they mean for your organization,” said Alex Alonso, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, chief data and analytics officer at SHRM. “Be very proactive about communicating these things to your entire workforce. We have seen the most success in those organizations that are proactive and jumping out there, making sure they know what is required from them. They communicate that information up to their leaders and down to their workers.” 

HR executives and people managers can address HR professionals’ apprehension by creating accessible forums for them to voice their concerns about the EOs and their impact, giving them the space to discern how to best do their jobs going forward. HR leaders and managers should also be willing to set aside time to speak with employees individually about these matters, Alonso said.

“This allows HR executives to learn about why these executive orders are confusing HR professionals or impacting their ability to focus,” Alonso said. “If you are very proactive in asking questions of your workforce, you can do a lot to help people move beyond the initial shock of the executive orders, helping them understand how their jobs will be impacted day to day.”