(FORTUNE Magazine) – Hold on to your Aeron chairs and ergonomically correct keyboards. Employees who yearn for a more comfortable workplace may be in for a bumpy political transition. A controversial set of ergonomic standards took effect four days before Bill Clinton left office; now the Bush team must decide whether to start undoing the new rules. Ten years in the making, the regulations cover 102 million workers and require employers to provide details about workplace injuries that come from repetition, awkward posture, and the like--and treat them promptly if they arise. The regs brought loud groans from business groups--the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the Department of Labor and claims the standards will cost American industry some $120 billion in the first year alone. The Labor Department figures that estimate is too high by a factor of, oh, about 26. It estimates a cost of just $4.5 billion annually. Organized labor isn't happy either. The AFL-CIO says the rules don't go far enough or cover enough workers. It's also suing the Labor Department.

All this puts newly minted Labor Secretary Elaine Chao in a tricky position. Her office wouldn't comment on how she plans to sort out the mess--or even on whether the Secretary has an Aeron chair of her own--saying the topic's just too hot.

--Julie Schlosser