Where do the leading 2016 presidential candidates stand on top HR issues?

That’s what the Society for Human Resources Management lays out in a new analysis.

SHRM examined the candidate positions on three major issues: The Cadillac tax, overtime pay, and paid leave for illness, family care, or the birth of a child.

The analysis is limited by the fact that the current leader in the polls for the GOP nomination, Donald Trump, does not appear to have any positions on those issues.

As is the case in many other policy arenas, the bombastic billionaire has thus far avoided going into specifics on HR issues.

The same is true for Ben Carson, another political novice.

But among the candidates who do have positions, the one policy that none have professed love for is the provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the so-called Cadillac tax, which Congress voted to suspend for two years as part of an end-of-the-year appropriations bill.

Republicans and business groups have denounced the excise tax on expensive health plans as a burden on employers and employees alike, and unions and some Democrats worry the policy will lead businesses to pare back generous benefits that workers have negotiated in lieu of pay.

Both leading Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, have come out against the Cadillac Tax, as have Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Chris Christie.

However, Bush’s own proposed health plan includes a similar tax, except the thresholds would be slightly higher than those in PPACA.

While both Democrats have voiced support for expanding paid leave, only Sanders has provided specifics, reports SHRM.

The Vermont senator, whose campaign message is largely an endorsement of a European-style social safety net, has introduced legislation to guarantee workers 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child or in the event of a serious illness.

Most Republicans, like Clinton, have also largely avoided addressing the issue of paid leave specifically, but their vague comments typically suggest they are opposed to new federal mandates on the issue.

But a notable exception is Marco Rubio, who proposes offering employers a 25 percent tax credit if they offer employees four weeks of paid leave.

The candidates’ positions on new overtime regulations break down along party lines. Clinton and Sanders support a proposed new Department of Labor rule that would raise the salary threshold at which employees can be exempt from overtime pay regulations, while the GOP candidates oppose it.

Instant Insights /

Where do the leading 2016 presidential candidates stand on HR issues?

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