Everyone is going to be talking about President Obama’s first 100 days today. I figured we needed to look back on what his moving into the White House has meant for employees.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Obama is the magic president. One hundred days is not enough time for any president to really make a significant impact.

That said, I do think it can only help the dialogue going forward if we stop to digest what he’s done thus far to impact the American workplace.

To that end, I asked a bunch of labor experts from both a pro-worker and pro-business perspective to offer their thoughts.

As you can imagine, I got some pretty divergent opinions:

“Undoubtedly, President Obama’s first 100 days have resulted in key changes for U.S. workers. There have been vital changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

As his first law, Obama signed The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which expanded the time to bring wage discrimination claims. The Stimulus Bill has brought its own changes, with expansive new COBRA subsidies and whistleblower protections for non-federal employees who report misuse of stimulus funds.

In addition, the much debated Employee Free Choice Act is before Congress and other measures are expected within the coming months that are sure to considerably alter the labor and employment landscape.”
– Kimya S.P. Johnson, labor and employment attorney with Cozen O’Connor

“I think President Obama has done very well by workers during his first 100 days. The first piece of legislation he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which is designed to ‘fight pay discrimination and ensure fundamental fairness to American workers.’ It amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the ADEA, the ADA, and the RHA, protecting workers covered by those acts from discrimination in compensation and extending the statute of limitations when discrimination occurs. The president also nominated Hilda Solis as Secretary of Labor. Solis is known for being a champion for workers’ rights.

From the ‘Making Work Pay’ tax relief, to expanding access to jobs for the poor, to raising the minimum wage, and many other actions in the first 100 days, Mr. Obama has demonstrated his commitment to workers. As in his work prior to being elected president, many of the efforts will help people who have often been disadvantaged.”
– Myrtle P. Bell, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Management, Department of Management, University of Texas at Arlington

“It will have some good short-term effects, but if successful, their long-term effects will be beneficial first and foremost to financial firms. A response more beneficial to workers would require fundamental change that includes such things as redesigned cities, mass public transportation and job training in local “sustainable” work (e.g., retrofitting public buildings and individual homes for energy self-sufficiency–not simply energy efficiency).”
– Vincent Serravallo, professor of sociology at Rochester Institute of Technology

“In review of President Obama’s first 100 days in office, I believe his administration’s priorities are correct in that they focus on investment in areas critical to the global competitiveness of our nation and the ability to create productive employment for our citizens. The three priorities are energy (independence), health care (cost control and universal coverage) and education.

The shift to investment is a political and cultural shift that deviates dramatically from the high debt leveraging of the American consumer predominant over the last several decades. Those consumption and political priorities of the recent past supported heavy borrowings for consumption rather than investment in the future of the nation.

I share Mr. Warren Buffett’s concern that these initiatives, along with all of the other social and economic programs recently announced, create a significant complexity to the management of the White House and the leadership of the nation.”
– Michael E. Echols, Ph.D., Director of Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab

“Obama-mania has created a significant interest in public service among the emerging workforce. According to a poll we conducted last week, 65% of those surveyed said they are more likely to pursue a career in public service given the current administration. As one of the largest internship organizations in the country, we believe this poll and our recent uptick in enrollment demonstrates a shared desire to answer President Obama’s call to service.”

Two thirds of students and recent graduates surveyed felt that Obama was going in the right direction as far as energy (77%), education (79%) and healthcare (66%), but there was much lower percentage of approval regarding the direction of the economy (52%). This is reflective of the country as the whole, which feels unsure of the right way to jumpstart the economy.”
– Mike Smith, president of The Washington Center

“On the positive side, so many areas that benefit workers have been addressed by the new administration. The largest is the stimulus package. Its direct effects are just starting to have an impact and the indirect effects will be felt later. The primary purpose of the stimulus is to slow down the increase in unemployment, which is hard to measure.

However, we can see the direct employment caused by the effort. The major construction of infrastructure will be noticed in the coming months. The multiplier effect (secondary and tertiary jobs) will also take hold in the future. On the negative side, the increase in the national debt will be a major constraint on future federal budgets.”
– Robert Trumble, professor of management and director of the Virginia Labor Studies Center at Virginia Commonwealth University

“The economic downturn has cost literally millions of American jobs – and the Obama administration has done little to curb employer fears that over-taxation and over-regulation will hurt American business – causing employers to be very cautious in making future hiring decisions or expansion plans. Furthermore, while extending unemployment compensation and COBRA benefits may provide a ‘feel good’ fix in the short run, extending those entitlements is more costly for employers and effectively creates incentives for employees not to seek new employment opportunities.

Moreover, the economic downturn and stock-market plunge have devastated most American’s retirement accounts – forcing many older workers back in to the job market and causing more senior employees to delay retirement plans. This trend will have a decidedly negative impact on younger and inexperienced workers, who will likely find it difficult to find even short-term and summer employment as those jobs are filled with older more experienced workers trying to supplement their income and retirement.

Despite the President’s strong rhetoric regarding his support for the Employee Free Choice Act, the administration has been absolutely silent in recent weeks as many Democrats who previously supported the bill have expressed serious reservations and concerns and have even withdrawn their support of the controversial legislation. This must be incredibly frustrating for organized labor, which spent millions of dollars to help the President and other pro-labor Senators get elected last November. The EFCA is unquestionably organized labor’s top legislative priority and labor was counting on a big payback from President Obama to help secure its passage. Now, many pro-labor lawmakers are talking about proposing compromise legislation and some have even indicated that labor may need to wait until after the mid-term elections in 2010 to see if they can pick up the needed additional support to get the EFCA passed.

While organized labor’s most important piece of legislation has languished, the Obama administration has been clearly pre-occupied with other legitimate priorities, including the economy and world events. Nevertheless, there is no other way for unions to view the stalling of the EFCA than as a tremendous set back for organized labor. With a decidedly pro-labor Congress and a pro-labor President, organized labor was counting on achieving significant success with its aggressive legislative agenda. They are still waiting for that success and are not receiving much help from the White House.”
– John Bowen, a partner in Ford & Harrison’s Minneapolis office.

“President Obama has made it clear from day one that we will not be able to rebuild our economy stronger than it was without a greater voice, and greater prosperity, for American workers. That faith has inspired the kind of broad participation during these past 100 days that’s key to turning the promise of change into reality. The fact that so many Americans are optimistic and involved despite tough times – that’s the hidden news in Obama’s first 100 days and that holds such great promise for our country.

• Pass economic stimulus plan that includes balanced tax relief for working people and investments in jobs, education, healthcare, roads and bridges – DONE
• Strengthen the voice of Americans to fight discrimination with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - DONE
• Pass a budget that puts a real down payment toward guaranteeing the quality, affordable healthcare Americans deserve – DONE
• Provide a significant investment in green jobs as a pathway to a strong middle class and a sustainable future - DONE
• Fill Cabinet positions with nominees that working families can count on to stand up and fight for them – Secretary Hilda Solis confirmed to Department of Labor; Governor Kathleen Sebelius awaiting final confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary.
• Provide a pathway to legal status for young people who were brought to the U.S. as undocumented immigrant children – DREAM Act, introduced March 26
• Give workers a choice, free from intimidation and harassment, to bargain for job security, better wages and health care - Employee Free Choice Act, introduced March 10
• Keep an open dialogue between top White House official and labor, business, community, faith and constituent leaders – Multiple roundtables, town halls, White House Forum on Health Reform, Middle Class Task Force, White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit”
– Anna Burger, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer

“The tangibles remain to be seen, but the intangibles are clear — most workers are expressing more hope as a result of Obama’s presence.

At this early juncture, however, what may be more relevant are the lessons every worker can heed from Obama’s playbook.

Topping the list are the importance of managing expectations, asking the right questions and listening for the answers, being open to dialogue with both friends and enemies, and recognizing the difficulty of undoing a negative first impression.

Workers would also be wise to take note of Obama’s ‘quiet’ strength. His more introverted tendencies — from projecting a calm confidence to preferring to ‘think first, talk later’ — are a critical asset in these extraordinarily challenging times.”
– Jennifer Kahnweiler, an Atlanta-based workplace expert and author of the forthcoming book “The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength”

“Actions taken in President Obama’s first 100 days have sent a clear message to U.S. workers that they are an essential part of the national fabric. Equally important is the authenticity that management and core workers could emulate to improve business results. His management style is transparent communication and an emphasis on collaboration.

The importance of U.S. workers was also highlighted in the President’s radio/Internet address last week [April 25], when he announced a plan for federal workers to make proposals to help trim their agencies’ budgets. He made it clear that getting input from the core workers was a key part of chipping away at the federal deficit.”
– Maren Showkeir, workplace consultant and co-author of “Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment”

What do all you working stiffs think? How’s Obama doing so far?