Since the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the late 1930s, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued opinion letters as a means of providing guidance to workers, employers, and other stakeholders regarding the application of federal employment laws.
Continue Reading U.S. Department of Labor Issues Six Opinion Letters Addressing FLSA and FMLA
Some employers that rely on staffing arrangements, franchise relationships, or independent contractors may see meaningful shifts in federal labor policy because of a pair of federal agency rulemaking announcements released in February 2026.
Continue Reading Labor Policy Pendulum Swings Again: New Federal Rules Reshape Joint-Employer and Independent Contractor Standards
On May 1, 2025, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a field assistance bulletin providing guidance to the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division staff about the “analysis to apply when
Continue Reading Department of Labor’s New Guidance on Enforcing Biden Administration’s Independent Contractor Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Opinion Letter FMLA2025-01-A, clarifying the complex interaction between (1) the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), (2) state-paid family and medical leave program (PFML) benefits and (3) employer-provided accrued vacation, paid time off, and/or paid sick time (employer-paid leave).
Continue Reading The DOL’s New Guidance on the Interplay of the Federal FMLA and State-Paid Family Medical Leave Programs
Restaurants and other businesses employing tipped workers, many of whom may have been taking a wait-and-see approach in light of Restaurant Law Center v. U.S. Department of Labor, must
Continue Reading Next Steps For Hospitality Cos. After DOL Tip Credit Rule Win
On Sept. 8, 2020, a New York federal judge struck down substantial portions of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL’s) joint employer final rule, which went into effect March 1,
Continue Reading New York Federal Judge Strikes Down DOL ‘Joint Employer’ Rule
Prompted by telework arrangements that arose in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) issued a Bulletin addressing important
Continue Reading DOL Issues Guidance on Wage-and-Hour Obligations as Pandemic Increases Telework
Shortly after the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Final Rule implementing provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the state of New York filed suit
Continue Reading Federal Judge Grants NY’s Motion to Vacate FFCRA’s ‘Work Availability’ Requirement, Other Important Provisions of DOL’s ‘Final Rule’