Federal Labor Guidance
Free plain-English summaries of opinion letters, administrative policies, and interpretive notices from the U.S. Department of Labor, with the current status and the official source on every page.
No Federal documents match your search
Try different keywords or clear a filter.
SCSEP stand-alone state plan guidance for 2024–2027
ETA gave states, territories, and outlying areas requirements and a March 29, 2024 deadline for submitting stand-alone Senior Community Service Employment Program plans for 2024 through 2027. It…
Extended ETA 9177 checklist approval for state UI system modernization
ETA advised states that the ETA 9177 preimplementation checklist for modernized unemployment insurance systems had Office of Management and Budget approval through July 31, 2026. States submit the…
Lloyd’s underwriters and ERISA fidelity bonding
Lloyd’s asked whether its underwriters could satisfy an ERISA bond exemption’s state licensing condition after letting certain state insurance licenses lapse. EBSA said authorization through the…
Fiscal year 2024 sequestration for mandatory UI programs
ETA told states which mandatory unemployment insurance programs were subject to fiscal year 2024 sequestration and which were exempt. The letter applied a 5.7 percent reduction to nonexempt programs…
SCSEP technology implementation grants for 2023
ETA offered $9.5 million in additional grants to state and territorial Senior Community Service Employment Program grantees for costs of implementing its performance management system. The letter…
ETA-9130 grant financial reporting clarifications, Change 1
ETA clarifies several ETA-9130 financial reporting rules for its grant recipients. It addresses the first report when a grant starts near a quarter end, the due date for the quarter ending March 31,…
Rescission of revised tax performance handbook appendix
ETA cancelled UIPL No. 16-23 and rescinded its revision to Appendix E of the Tax Performance System handbook because the agency had not sought public comment. State tax staff were told to discard…
FY 2024 WOTC incremental allotments, Change 1
ETA gave state workforce agencies additional FY 2024 Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration funds made available by a second continuing resolution. It listed state allotments and required…
TAA worker services during program phase-out
ETA tells states they must continue providing Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits and services to eligible workers during the program's phase-out. New worker-group petitions cannot be certified…
2024 federal employee pay rates for unemployment claim estimates
ETA pointed state agencies to 2024 federal General Schedule pay rates for 53 locality areas. When a federal agency did not answer promptly, states could use those rates with other documents to…
State finality laws and CARES Act unemployment claims
ETA said state unemployment agencies may apply their own finality laws to claims under temporary CARES Act unemployment programs. Those laws limit when a state may reopen an earlier claim decision,…
Exposure and medical records after a corporate spinoff
An employer asked who must retain employee exposure and medical records when a division becomes a separate company with the same work, assets and employees. OSHA said the new company is a successor…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for January–March 2024
ETA published each state’s minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for major disasters declared from January 1 through March 31, 2024. State agencies were to use the attached figures…
2024 Social Security and federal civilian pension adjustments
ETA told state unemployment agencies about 2024 cost of living increases in Social Security annuities and federal civilian pensions. States whose laws reduce unemployment payments because of…
Military pension cost of living adjustments for unemployment claims
ETA alerted state unemployment agencies to increases in military retired pay and related survivor benefits effective December 1, 2023. Where state law requires a pension offset, agencies should…
Child labor civil money penalty assessments
WHD told investigators how to assess civil money penalties for child labor violations that caused no injury or nonserious injury. It addresses the gravity of a violation, the size of the business,…
Hazard communication for solvent-based paint markers
A marker manufacturer asked whether small solvent-based paint markers are exempt as “articles” and whether a nontoxic certification removes labeling duties. OSHA said the article test depends on…
Updated Work Opportunity Tax Credit certification procedures
ETA updates how state workforce agencies process employers' Work Opportunity Tax Credit certification requests, including backlogged requests. It explains forms, submission and review steps,…
Cold and flu symptoms after possible workplace chemical exposure
A requester asked how employers should handle illnesses that resemble a cold or flu but may result from workplace chemical exposure. OSHA said the cold and flu exception applies only when the…
Initial FY 2024 WOTC administration allotments
ETA gives state workforce agencies their initial FY 2024 Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration allotments under a continuing resolution. It explains the allocation method and required…
Nondiscrimination based on religion or shared ancestry in workforce programs
ETA and the Labor Department's Civil Rights Center explain nondiscrimination duties for federally funded workforce programs. They discuss discrimination based on actual or perceived religion, shared…
Retention of confined-space atmospheric test records
An attorney asked whether routine atmospheric test data on confined-space entry permits had to be kept for 30 years as employee exposure records. OSHA said the permit tests described need at least…
WIOA state plan requirements for 2024–2027
ETA and the Education Department told states what to include in WIOA Unified or Combined State Plans for program years 2024 through 2027 and how to submit them. The letter set a March 4, 2024…
Climbing rope diameter for tree trimming
A tree care partnership asked whether using a 7/16-inch climbing rope instead of the standard 1/2-inch rope can be treated as de minimis. OSHA said it can be, when the rope meets specified strength…
Revised employer audit appendix for the tax performance system
ETA issued a revised Appendix E to its Tax Performance System handbook for state employer unemployment tax audits. In January 2024, ETA cancelled this letter and rescinded the revised appendix…
Citi racial equity asset manager program and ERISA fiduciary duties
Citi asked how ERISA fiduciary duties applied to its proposed asset manager program, under which it would pay some managers’ fees. EBSA gave views on the fiduciary questions based on Citi’s…
Respirable Crystalline Silica Focused Inspection Initiative in the Engineered Stone Fabrication and Installation Industries
OSHA established a focused inspection initiative for engineered-stone fabrication and installation industries in federal OSHA Regions 1 through 8. It directs area offices to prioritize certain…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for October–December 2023
ETA published each state’s minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for major disasters declared from October 1 through December 31, 2023. State agencies were to use the attached table…
Powered industrial truck coverage for specialized carts
An equipment user asked whether several electric carts designed to carry or pull material are powered industrial trucks under OSHA’s standard. OSHA said the standard applies because the equipment is…
Space Force identification code for unemployment claims
ETA assigned Federal Identification Code 810, destination 0001, to Space Force military service for unemployment claims by former service members. State agencies had to update claims, billing and…
Preliminary fiscal year 2024 state UI resource planning targets
ETA supplied state unemployment insurance agencies preliminary fiscal year 2024 administrative funding targets and explained its allocation method. States were to use the targets for budgets and…
Outreach spending under federal workforce grants
ETA explained how recipients of WIOA formula and competitive grants could use funds for outreach to jobseekers and employers. It gave examples of permissible outreach and asked grantees to review…
Child labor hot goods and shipment restrictions
WHD explained that goods produced in or about an establishment using oppressive child labor may be barred from interstate shipment even if the children did not directly make the goods. It describes…
2023 Benefit Accuracy Measurement completion and publication procedures
ETA gave state unemployment insurance agencies deadlines for completing 2023 Benefit Accuracy Measurement samples, reconciling data and naming contacts for publication. The annual process measures…
Minimum approach distance near covered power lines
A utility worker asked whether a covered 23 kV conductor permits work on an adjacent exposed 4 kV conductor while using gloves rated for 4 kV. OSHA said the worker may enter the covered conductor’s…
FY 2023 Trade Adjustment Assistance training fund distribution
ETA gives states their FY 2023 Trade Adjustment Assistance Training and Other Activities allocations and explains how to request the funds. The allocations use recent state expenditures, with a…
Updated disadvantaged youth and adult data for WIOA allocations
ETA tells states to use updated disadvantaged youth and adult data in their WIOA Youth and Adult within-state allocation formulas beginning with program year 2023. It explains where the data comes…
Group lockboxes in lockout and tagout procedures
An employer asked how group lockboxes must be used during hazardous energy control. OSHA said a primary authorized employee may verify isolation for the group, while other authorized employees may…
Corrected 2023 workforce information grant deliverables, Change 1
ETA corrects due dates and employment projection deliverables in the attachment to TEGL 20-22 for state Workforce Information Grant recipients. It asks grantees to replace the earlier attachment…
End of CARES Act short time compensation grant applications
ETA announced that states could no longer submit new applications for CARES Act Short-Time Compensation grants after June 3, 2023. Federal legislation rescinded the remaining unobligated grant…
UI modernization grants and national identity verification offering
ETA announced grants for state unemployment insurance integrity, technology modernization and support from expert teams. Initial applications for those grants were due August 18, 2023. States…
Cancellation of four ARPA unemployment guidance changes
ETA cancelled four earlier unemployment insurance guidance changes after Congress rescinded $1 billion in unobligated American Rescue Plan Act funds. The cancelled advisories are UIPL No. 22-21,…
Fiscal year 2024 state UI quality service plan guidance
ETA told state unemployment insurance agencies how to prepare fiscal year 2024 State Quality Service Plans and submit them to regional offices. The letter supplements the standing handbook with that…
Revised Work Opportunity Tax Credit forms and representative declaration
ETA announced revised forms for Work Opportunity Tax Credit certification requests and clarified how employers authorize a third-party representative through ETA Form 9198. It asked states to make…
Displaying OSHA workplace safety posters
An employer asked whether OSHA posters may be placed behind other labor law posters on a wall hanger. OSHA said no: required notices must remain conspicuous, readily observable and uncovered by…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for July–September 2023
ETA published each state’s minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for major disasters declared from July 1 through September 30, 2023. State agencies were to use the attached figures…
WIOA adult and dislocated worker training options and service access
ETA explains the range of training and other services that WIOA Adult and Dislocated Worker programs may offer. It asks workforce boards and agencies to review local needs and enrollment data,…
2023 workforce and labor market information grant deliverables
ETA tells state workforce agencies what labor market information products their program year 2023 grants must support. It describes required, encouraged, and allowable activities and lists…
2023 consolidated WIOA grant applications for outlying areas, Change 1
ETA adds instructions for American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to apply for a single consolidated 2023 WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth…
Breathing-air quality for supplied-air respirators
A manufacturer asked OSHA about Grade D breathing air, moisture limits and equipment configurations for supplied-air respirators. OSHA explained the different dew-point requirements for cylinders…
How a holiday affects FMLA leave used during a workweek
An employer asked how to count FMLA leave during a week with a holiday. WHD said a full workweek of leave counts as one week, including the holiday. For leave covering only part of the week, a…
ARPA grant opportunity for state UI technology modernization
ETA offered states ARPA funding to modernize unemployment insurance technology through modular projects and participation in federal activities. Initial applications were due July 28, 2023. ETA…
Reopened ARPA grants for equitable access to unemployment benefits
ETA temporarily reopened applications for state grants to improve access to unemployment benefits and offered some states additional allotments. Applications under this change were due July 24,…
Administrative funding for ongoing CARES Act program oversight
ETA offered $3.14 million in total administrative funding to state unemployment agencies for answering federal inquiries about ongoing CARES Act program activity. The opportunity covered work…
Expanded grants after UI Tiger Teams assessments
ETA offered additional grants and a simplified application process to states taking part in unemployment insurance Tiger Teams assessments. The money was meant to support negotiated improvements in…
FY 2023 community project grant application instructions
ETA gave the named FY 2023 Community Project Funding recipients application instructions for their designated workforce grants. It listed eligible projects and amounts and required applications…
Enforcing workplace breast-milk pumping protections
WHD instructed investigators on reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for employees to pump breast milk during the first year after childbirth. It addresses break pay, coverage,…
Work-relatedness of an on-duty shooting after a traffic collision
An employer asked whether a driver shot after a traffic collision while traveling between service calls suffered a work-related injury. OSHA said the injury is work-related because the driver was…
Program Year 2023 SCSEP allotments and grant applications
ETA gave Senior Community Service Employment Program state, territorial, and national grantees program year 2023 allotments and grant application instructions. It included authorized positions and…
2023 National Farmworker Jobs Program grants and youth funding
ETA gave National Farmworker Jobs Program career services, training, and housing grantees their program year 2023 funding instructions. Eligible grantees could also seek additional youth grants,…
Browse Federal guidance by topic
These are official interpretive documents from the U.S. Department of Labor: opinion letters answering questions from employers and workers, administrative policies, and interpretive notices. They show how the agency applies wage-and-hour and workplace law to real situations, but they are guidance, not statutes or court decisions, and the agency can supersede or withdraw them. Every page above shows the document's current status, when that status was last verified, and a link to the official source.