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.
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Workforce program performance data validation, Change 2
ETA revised instructions and source-document tables for validating performance data reported by workforce grant recipients. The change addressed apprenticeship grants, Social Security number…
ETA-9130 training expenditure reporting and payment system transition
ETA clarifies how certain grant recipients report training expenditures on ETA-9130 financial reports. It also instructs recipients to file quarterly reports in the Payment Management System…
WIOA core program performance negotiations and sanctions, Change 1
ETA and the Education Department revised guidance on negotiating WIOA core program performance targets and assessing state performance. They clarified the statistical adjustment model and when…
Machine guards made from fiberglass reinforced plastic
A manufacturer asked about belt and shaft guard gaps on blower motors and whether fiberglass reinforced plastic is acceptable guard material. OSHA pointed to the applicable guarding rules and said a…
2023 QUEST Dislocated Worker Grant funding, Change 2
ETA announced 2023 funding for Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy, and Training Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grants. It updated application and project requirements under TEGL 02-22,…
Protections for workers handling arsenic-treated wood
A constituent asked OSHA to extend its inorganic arsenic standard to arsenic-treated wood. OSHA said it does not plan that rulemaking now, but the Hazard Communication standard still requires…
ARPA funds for state UI fraud prevention and overpayment recovery
ETA offered states up to $200 million in additional ARPA funding for identity verification, fraud prevention and recovery of unemployment benefit overpayments. It also described required and…
Program Year 2023 WIOA and Employment Service allotments
ETA gave states and outlying areas program year 2023 allotments for WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth activities, the Employment Service, and Workforce Information Grants. It explains fund…
Wall deposits in exposure sampling analysis
OSHA said laboratories analyzing air samples should account for wall deposits when the applicable sampling method calls for them. Omitting those deposits can understate exposure, and any deviation…
Trade Adjustment Assistance phase-out questions and answers
ETA answers state questions about Trade Adjustment Assistance after its July 2022 phase-out began. The program cannot certify new worker-group petitions, but states must continue serving eligible…
SCSEP technology grant application deadline extended, Change 1
ETA extended the application deadline for its 2022 Senior Community Service Employment Program technology implementation grants from April 17 to May 1, 2023. The change also clarifies how grantees…
Focused electrode leak locator in hazardous locations
An equipment manufacturer asked whether its sewer inspection device may be used in a Class I, Division 1 location. OSHA said it could not decide compliance without examining the device and actual…
Program Year 2023 WIOA Native American program allotments
ETA gives WIOA Indian and Native American grantees program year 2023 Comprehensive Services and Supplemental Youth Services allotments. It explains application documents and how to request a higher…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for April–June 2023
ETA published each state’s minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for major disasters declared from April 1 through June 30, 2023. State agencies were to use the attached figures…
Fiscal year 2023 sequestration for mandatory UI programs
ETA told states which mandatory unemployment insurance programs were subject to fiscal year 2023 sequestration and which were exempt. The letter applied a 5.7 percent reduction to nonexempt programs…
Closeout process for expired ETA grants and agreements
ETA explains the standard closeout process for expired grants and cooperative agreements. It identifies the required cost and property forms and reminds recipients of report deadlines after a…
FY 2023 foreign labor certification grants, Change 1
ETA updates state workforce agency instructions for foreign labor certification activities affected by new H-2A regulations and announces FY 2023 grant allotments. It includes annual plan and…
Program Year 2022 dislocated worker fund reallotment
ETA adjusts Program Year 2022 WIOA dislocated worker funding after Ohio and Puerto Rico had more than 20 percent of their prior-year allotments unobligated. It recaptures a total of $4,957,289 from…
SCSEP technology implementation grants for 2022
ETA offered about $9.5 million to state, territorial, and national Senior Community Service Employment Program grantees for performance system implementation costs. Change 1 extended its application…
FY 2023 WOTC remaining allotments and backlog awards, Change 1
ETA gives state workforce agencies the remaining FY 2023 Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration funds and explains how to apply. It also names 14 states selected for additional funding to reduce…
Federally funded services for ARPA unemployment grantees
ETA offered state unemployment agencies operational and technical help for their American Rescue Plan Act grant projects. The support could help with fraud prevention, access to benefits and timely…
Noise-canceling headphones and hearing protection
A requester asked whether noise-canceling headphones can replace earplugs. OSHA said employers must evaluate exposure and provide protection that meets the noise standard; consumer active…
WIOA Title I youth formula program guidance
ETA gave states, local workforce areas, and WIOA youth fund recipients guidance on program policies and services for young people. It addressed work experiences, youth participation, and priorities…
FY 2022 community project grant deadline extension, Change 1
ETA extended the application deadline for named FY 2022 Community Project Funding recipients from February 28 to March 31, 2023. It left the other grant instructions in TEGL 03-22 unchanged. The…
Fiscal year 2023 RESEA grants and state plans
ETA gave state agencies fiscal year 2023 grant amounts and operating rules for Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment programs. States seeking funds had to submit a state plan by April 10,…
CPR refresher training frequency
OSHA said its guidance supports annual instructor-led CPR and AED retraining, but OSHA does not generally mandate that refresher frequency. Some standards do require covered employees to receive…
Reduced workdays for a chronic serious health condition
An employer asked whether employees normally required to work longer than eight-hour days may use FMLA leave to stop after eight hours because of a chronic serious health condition. WHD said…
Telework under the FLSA and FMLA
WHD explained that teleworkers must be paid for all hours worked, including short compensable rest breaks, and can receive protected breaks to pump breast milk. It also explains that telework hours…
Scalpel blade removal devices as bloodborne-pathogen controls
A healthcare requester asked whether single-handed scalpel blade removal devices and common forceps are engineering controls. OSHA said a single-handed removal device can be an engineering control…
Extended PUA administrative grant deadlines
ETA extended the deadline for state applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance administrative grants under UIPL No. 16-20, Change 7 to February 24, 2023. It also extended the deadline for…
Good jobs strategies for the workforce system
ETA encouraged state and local workforce boards and agencies to identify employers offering good jobs and build training pathways that reach underserved jobseekers. The letter describes job quality…
2023 federal employee pay rates for unemployment claim estimates
ETA pointed state unemployment agencies to 2023 federal General Schedule pay rates for 53 locality areas. When a federal agency did not respond promptly, states could use those rates with other…
2023 Social Security and federal civilian pension adjustments
ETA told state unemployment agencies about 2023 cost of living increases in Social Security annuities and federal civilian pensions. Where state law requires a retirement income offset, agencies…
Military pension cost of living adjustments for 2023
ETA alerted state unemployment agencies to increases in military retired pay and survivor benefits effective December 1, 2022. Where state law reduces unemployment payments because of pensions,…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for January–March 2023
ETA published each state’s minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for major disasters declared from January 1 through March 31, 2023. State agencies were to use the attached table to…
Longer performance period for later equity grant awards
ETA changed the performance period for state unemployment equity grants awarded on or after December 21, 2022 to 27 months from each award date. The revised application instructions replaced…
Pell Grants and unemployment benefits during approved training, Change 2
ETA encourages state workforce and unemployment insurance agencies to tell jobseekers about possible Pell Grant and other student aid eligibility. It urges states to explain how claimants can seek…
Hazard communication for lithium-ion batteries and battery packs
A battery trade association asked how OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard applies to lithium-ion cells, batteries and packs. OSHA said manufacturers and importers must assess inherent hazards,…
Trade Adjustment Assistance case management funding, Change 1
ETA changes its earlier interpretation of Trade Act funding for workers covered by petitions filed on or after July 1, 2021. It says states may use TAA Training and Other Activities funds for…
FY 2023 initial Work Opportunity Tax Credit allotments
ETA gave state workforce agencies initial FY 2023 funds to administer the Work Opportunity Tax Credit under a continuing resolution through December 16, 2022. It listed state allotments and required…
Electronic transmission of bulk chemical labels
A manufacturer asked whether labels for bulk hazardous-material shipments may be sent electronically. OSHA said electronic platforms, links and QR codes may be used if workers have immediate…
Program Year 2022 National Farmworker Jobs Program youth grants
ETA offered up to $325,200 in additional Program Year 2022 youth funds to current National Farmworker Jobs Program grantees. The letter explains eligibility, use of funds, application materials, and…
Workforce grant performance data validation, Change 1
ETA gave state and other workforce grant recipients instructions for checking the accuracy and reliability of performance data and supporting records. Its attachments provided validation procedures…
Additional administrative funding for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
ETA offered state workforce agencies up to $61 million for administrative work on the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program that earlier funding did not cover. States had to justify their need…
Extension of CARES Act unemployment grant application deadline
ETA gave state workforce agencies more time to apply for grants under UIPL No. 28-20, Change 4 after the application system was temporarily unavailable. The new deadline was October 30, 2022; the…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for late 2022
ETA gave state workforce agencies a table of minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amounts for major disasters declared in the final quarter of 2022. The amounts are based on half of each…
Fiscal year 2023 unemployment insurance resource planning targets
ETA gave state workforce agencies preliminary funding and staffing targets for administering unemployment insurance in fiscal year 2023. It explained the allocation method and supplied detailed…
Extended Tiger Team unemployment grant interest deadline
ETA extended the deadline for states to express interest in its unemployment insurance Tiger Team assessments and related grants to March 31, 2023. It also replaced the grant application…
WIOA core program performance accountability, Change 2
ETA and the Education Department updated performance accountability guidance for WIOA core programs, including reporting changes and clarifications. This version replaced TEGL 10-16, Change 1. A…
Program Year 2022 Indian and Native American WIOA allotments
ETA notified WIOA Section 166 Indian and Native American grantees of Program Year 2022 Comprehensive Services and Supplemental Youth Services allotments. It also explained how excess unspent…
Trade Adjustment Assistance data integrity, Change 1
ETA updates state agencies’ Trade Adjustment Assistance data integrity procedures for quarterly performance reports. The change clarifies reporting timelines, adds data consistency measures, and…
QUEST dislocated worker grant deadline extension, Change 1
ETA extended the deadline for eligible applicants to request Quality Jobs, Equity, Strategy, and Training disaster recovery dislocated worker grants from August 4 to August 15, 2022. The base TEGL…
Funding for CARES Act unemployment reporting and overpayments
ETA offered states up to $225 million for reporting and overpayment detection and recovery under certain expired CARES Act unemployment programs. It separately described existing workload-based…
Fiscal year 2023 state unemployment quality service plans
ETA directed state unemployment agencies to prepare their fiscal year 2023 State Quality Service Plans, including priorities for payment timeliness, equitable access, fraud control, and program…
FY 2022 community project grant applications
ETA gave 173 named FY 2022 Community Project Funding recipients instructions for applying for their designated demonstration grants. It listed projects and awards and set out required application…
2022 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance improper payment reviews
ETA canceled the 2022 Benefit Accuracy Measurement paid claims peer reviews and directed states to take part in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance case reviews instead. Federal and state staff were to…
OMB approval of the unemployment resource justification model
ETA told state unemployment agencies that OMB had extended approval of the Resource Justification Model information collection without changing its reporting burden. The attached handbook and…
QUEST disaster recovery dislocated worker grants
ETA offered up to $140 million in QUEST disaster recovery grants, with awards up to $15 million, for projects serving workers affected by the pandemic. The letter detailed eligibility, applications,…
Program Year 2022 workforce and labor market information grants
ETA set Program Year 2022 requirements for state Workforce and Labor Market Information Grants. It described required databases, public information products, staff training, schedules, and other…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for mid-2022
ETA gave state workforce agencies a table of minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amounts for major disasters declared from July through September 2022. The amounts are derived from half…
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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.