President-elect Donald Trump named Andy Puzder as his choice to serve as Secretary of Labor Dec. 8. Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns the fast food restaurants Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, is a long-time advocate for job creation. He also served as an advisor to the Trump campaign during the presidential election.

Puzder has been a major critic of burdensome federal regulation, speaking out specifically against hiking the federal minimum wage, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) final overtime rule and the Affordable Care Act.  His pick is being welcomed by many in the business community, who are hopeful that he will reign in DOL’s federal overreach into the private sector and be more receptive to both the concerns of employers and employees. 

At the press conference announcing his nomination, Trump said, "Andy will fight to make American workers safer and more prosperous by enforcing fair occupational safety standards and ensuring workers receive the benefits they deserve, and he will save small businesses from the crushing burdens of unnecessary regulations that are stunting job growth and suppressing wages.”

Read Littler’s analysis on what to expect under Puzder’s DOL.