Over the past 10 years, employee relations in the US saw several important changes and milestones: - In 2007, Google extended paid maternity leave which decreased employee turnover after childbirth. - In 2009, the Affordable Care Act passed its first hurdle, making healthcare a top priority for employers. - A 2010 poll found 70% of workers were disengaged on the job, highlighting stagnating employee engagement. - Same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the Supreme Court in 2015. - By the late 2010s, freelancing and flexible work arrangements had become more common with the rise of Gen Z workers.

1. 10 Milestones Over 10 Years That
Changed Employee Relations
The term “employee relations” comes into its own
Year: 2007
Industrial relations focused on the relationship
between employers and employees collectively.
Employee relations revolves around the
relationship between the employer and the
employee as an individual.
Google, striving to help employees maintain
work-life balance, extends the length of its paid
maternity leave from 12 to 18 weeks, and the rate
at which new mothers leave the company
decreases by 50%.
52% of California voters approve Proposition 8
banning same-sex marriage in the state of
California. It leads to protests across the country
and a national debate on marriage equality.
The landmark healthcare law passed the
U.S. Senate in December of 2009, the first
step on its legislative journey, and the
employer mandate lands healthcare at the
top of the list of employee relations
priorities.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)
issues its first of two reports on social media
and determines that in some cases,
employee group discussions on social media
may be a “protected concerted activity.”
A Gallup poll, State of the American
Workplace, finds that 70% of workers are
either not engaged or actively
disengaged and highlights the continuing
stagnation of employee engagement in
the workplace.
In Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S.
Supreme Court holds that same sex
couples have a fundamental right to
marriage under the 14th Amendment.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll finds
that 81% of Americans are in favor of
medical cannabis. By 2010, fourteen
states plus the District of Columbia
have legalized medical marijuana.
Bersin by Deloitte outlines an Agile
Model of HR, a new paradigm wherein
human resources no longer simply
execute rules, but rather create
programs and structures that drive
organizational agility.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) issues its first
comprehensive guidance update on
pregnant workers since 1983 and draws
in the broader use of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) for
accommodations.
An Upwork report, Freelancing in
America, boldly proclaims,
“Freelancing is the new normal,”
as entrepreneurial Gen-Z
drives more fluid, flexible
employee relations.
12 weeks
18 weeks
Proposition 8 makes same-sex
marriage illegal in California
Year: 2008
52%
NO
48%
81%
70%
YES
YES
19%
NO
The Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act passes its first
legislative hurdle
Year: 2009
Medical marijuana gains more
widespread acceptance
Social media in focus
A new Agile Model of HR emerges
Employee engagement metrics
point to a disconnected workforce
EEOC gets tough on pregnancy discrimination
Same sex marriage is legalized
“Freelancing is the new normal”
New mothers leaving the company
50%
Google paves the way with longer, paid parental leave
zZz zZz
zZz zZz zZz zZz zZz workers are either
not engaged or
actively disengaged
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Year: 2006
Year: 2010
Year: 2011
Year: 2012
Year: 2013
Year: 2014
Year: 2015
Year: 2016
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