State and Federal Labor Guidance
Free state and federal labor-agency opinion letters, administrative policies, and interpretive notices, with plain-English summaries, current status, and the official source on every page.
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UI internal security risk-analysis guide Unknown
ETA transmitted technical assistance materials on state UI security risk analysis and explained that their methodology was optional. Current status is unconfirmed.
Revenue Quality Control program questions and answers Unknown
ETA supplied answers to state agencies' practical questions about the Revenue Quality Control program for unemployment tax operations. The attached May 1994 questions address data processing,…
State insurance licensing of ERISA-covered MEWAs Unknown
Texas regulators asked whether requiring an ERISA-covered MEWA to obtain a certificate of authority, with penalties and injunctions for operating without one, would conflict with ERISA. EBSA said…
Vacation pay is wages: accrual caps, use-it-or-lose-it, and payout on separation
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division explains that once an employer chooses to offer paid vacation, Massachusetts law treats it as wages: it vests as it is earned and must…
24 hours of extra unpaid leave for school activities and elder/child medical appointments
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division explains the "Small Necessities Leave Act," M.G.L. c. 149, s. 52D, which entitles eligible employees (those meeting the federal FMLA's…
Tip pooling, service charges, and payroll-record changes under the 2004 Wage Act amendments
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division explains "An Act Protecting the Wages and Tips of Certain Employees," signed into law June 10, 2004. It defines which workers (wait…
The Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law's three-prong test, explained
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division explains the three-prong "ABC" test under M.G.L. c. 149, s. 148B for classifying a worker as an independent contractor rather than an…
Alaska Employment Preference Information (explaining the 2015 determination) Superseded
This DOLWD information sheet explains the mechanics of the Employment Preference Determination effective July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2017 under AS 36.10.150 and 8 AAC 30.064: which trade…
Alaska Employment Preference Q&A: the 90 percent Alaska-hire requirement (2015) Superseded
This DOLWD question-and-answer sheet addresses contractor concerns about the Employment Preference Determination effective July 1, 2015, under AS 36.10: which ongoing public construction projects…
Domestic violence leave: the 15-day job-protected leave for victims and family members
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division explains M.G.L. c. 149, s. 52E, which requires employers with 50 or more Massachusetts employees to permit an employee who is (or whose…
Recouping an inadvertent wage overpayment: when a wage deduction is and isn't allowed
This Advisory from the Attorney General's Fair Labor Division addresses when an employer may recover an inadvertent wage overpayment -- caused by a clerical or mathematical error -- through payroll…
Minimum pay for reporting to work
This Maine Bureau of Labor Standards guidance explains a new law (effective September 24, 2025) requiring employers to make a good-faith effort to tell employees before a scheduled shift is…
Salaried workers: exempt versus non-exempt overtime guideline
This Maine Bureau of Labor Standards guideline corrects a common misconception: paying an employee a salary does not, by itself, exempt them from overtime. Whether overtime is owed depends on the…
How this guidance is useful
- See how the agency reads the law: An opinion letter shows how a state labor agency actually applied wage-and-hour law to a real employer's or worker's situation.
- Check the status before relying: Every page shows whether the document is still active or has been superseded, rescinded, or withdrawn, and when that status was last verified.
- Guidance, not law: These documents explain the agency's position but bind no court, and the agency can change its view. The official document linked on every page is the authoritative source.
- Research across states: Compare how different states treat the same question, from overtime and travel time to tips and independent-contractor status.
Browse guidance by state
This library covers 8 states plus federal guidance so far. Every document is checked against the agency's official source before it is published, so states are added as their labor departments' guidance is verified, not all at once. If your state is not listed yet, its labor department's own site is the place to check.