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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Dislocated-worker grant application pilot Withdrawn
ETA opened a pilot allowing nine eligible employment-recovery Dislocated Worker Grant applications for mass layoffs and plant closings through Grants.gov. Other grant categories were to use the…
FY 2017 state UI resource planning targets Withdrawn
ETA supplied state unemployment agencies with preliminary FY 2017 funding and staff-year targets for State Quality Service Plans. It also described how base administrative resources were allocated…
Reemployment and system integration worker grants Withdrawn
ETA announced up to $65 million in Reemployment and System Integration Dislocated Worker Grants, capped at $1.1 million per state or outlying area. The grants supported technology connections among…
American Job Center enrollment for homeless veterans Withdrawn
ETA and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service required grantees serving homeless veterans to connect participants with American Job Centers while they received grant services. Enrollment…
Hazard labels on refrigerant cylinders inside packaging
Refrigerant makers asked whether they could label only the fiberboard packaging around nonrefillable cylinders or use single-color labels on the cylinders. OSHA said the immediate cylinder generally…
FY 2016 grants for improved UI operations Withdrawn
ETA notified state unemployment agencies of FY 2016 supplemental funding for better operations. Eligible activities focused on preventing and detecting improper benefit payments, improving…
FY 2017 state UI quality service plans Withdrawn
ETA instructed state unemployment agencies on preparing FY 2017 State Quality Service Plans. It set national priorities, performance and corrective-action criteria, funding information and…
Subminimum wages and section 511 services
WHD told certificate holders that they may pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities only when they meet Rehabilitation Act section 511 requirements on counseling, referrals, and other…
Corrected UCX military-law attachment
ETA sent state unemployment agencies a corrected Attachment C for its earlier UIPL 14-16 on defense-law changes affecting Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers. The replacement attachment…
UI database server replacement plan update Withdrawn
ETA updated state unemployment agencies on the plan for replacing state UI database hardware after installation of Sun Server X4-2 systems. The change gives revised steps for the upgrade and…
2015 benefit-year earnings integrity targets Withdrawn
ETA distributed state acceptable-performance targets for the benefit-year earnings unemployment integrity measure for calendar year 2015 and gave guidance for later performance periods. Its…
Labels on imported adhesive tubes held in sealed boxes
An importer asked when it must label adhesive tubes arriving without individual U.S. hazard labels. OSHA said the sealed, labeled master pack may be stored intact without labeling each tube; opening…
Process-safety coverage for diluted highly hazardous chemicals
OSHA replaced its earlier commercial-grade approach with a one-percent test for determining when certain highly hazardous chemicals in mixtures count toward process-safety coverage. It says only the…
Second 2016 Trade Adjustment Assistance distribution Withdrawn
ETA gave states the second 2016 distribution of Trade Adjustment Assistance training and related funds and explained its allocation formula. The letter also describes how states could request…
Zip ties and tagout at electric-power facilities
A contractor asked whether zip ties on electrical panels provide sufficient protection during maintenance at a power facility. OSHA said a suitable tie can attach a warning tag and may serve as an…
Revised ETA-9130 financial reporting guidance Withdrawn
ETA explained changes to its ETA-9130 quarterly financial report and clarified selected reporting requirements for workforce grant recipients. The letter supplements the report instructions and…
High-priority designation for poor UI performance
ETA explained a process for designating state unemployment programs with sustained poor performance as High Priority and for removing that designation after improvement. The letter sets selection…
Wanting a higher wage above minimum wage isn't a protected complaint under the minimum wage law
An attorney asked DLS whether an employee fired after complaining that his pay wasn't high enough — even though it exceeded the statutory minimum wage — could bring a retaliation claim under the…
Using separate YouthBuild grant awards
ETA clarified how YouthBuild grantees should keep participants and costs separate when grants from different program years overlap. A participant generally cannot receive services under two award…
2016 workforce labor market information grants Withdrawn
ETA set 2016 requirements for state Workforce Information Grants, including labor market information products, delivery and reporting. Two attachments consolidate deliverables and provide…
Negotiating 2016-2017 WIOA performance goals Withdrawn
ETA gave states a process for negotiating 2016 and 2017 performance goals for WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth programs and Wagner-Peyser employment services. Its attachments include a…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance for mid-2016 Withdrawn
ETA sent state unemployment agencies the minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amounts for major disasters declared from July through September 2016. The attachment lists each state's…
OMB approval of revised UI resource model Withdrawn
ETA announced OMB approval of revised data collection for the Resource Justification Model that state unemployment agencies use to justify administrative resources. It sent a revised Employment and…
Bloodborne-pathogen training and tattoo-parlor worker status
A tattoo-industry requester asked whether online bloodborne-pathogen training can satisfy federal OSHA and whether artists called independent contractors are covered. OSHA said training must include…
First quarter of PY 2016 SCSEP national grantee plans Withdrawn
ETA gave existing Senior Community Service Employment Program national grantees funding allocations and application instructions for the first quarter of Program Year 2016, July through September…
U.S. importer details on chemical labels and safety data sheets
A chemical-information company asked whether imported hazardous chemicals must list a U.S. contact on labels and safety data sheets. OSHA said yes: the importer is the responsible party and must…
2015 Work Opportunity Tax Credit reauthorization Withdrawn
ETA instructed state workforce agencies on the 2015 reauthorization of Work Opportunity Tax Credit target groups and Empowerment Zones, including a new long-term unemployment target group. It also…
National Farmworker Jobs Program operating guidance and housing assistance Withdrawn
ETA replaced TEGL 35-14 with operating guidance for National Farmworker Jobs Program grantees under WIOA. Change 1 clarifies which housing assistance may be provided and updates its definition of…
Hazard labels for domestic and international chemical shipments
A chemical maker asked how to label containers destined for U.S. customers, export and temporary storage. OSHA said U.S. shipments require compliant labels on each immediate container; export…
Program Year 2016 Indian and Native American program allotments Withdrawn
ETA gave Indian and Native American Section 166 grantees their Program Year 2016 comprehensive services and youth services allotments and grant application instructions. The attached tables show…
High risk determinations for ETA grant recipients after award
ETA explained how it evaluates the risk that a grant recipient will fail to meet award requirements after receiving an award. It describes the review, notice, and additional conditions that may…
2015 and 2016 workforce data validation and reporting deadlines Withdrawn
ETA reminded workforce programs of participant data validation and performance reporting duties for Program Years 2014 and 2015 and set submission dates. Six attachments supply validation rules,…
Recognized engineering practices in process-safety enforcement
OSHA gave inspectors guidance on how to evaluate generally accepted engineering practices under the process-safety standard. Employers choose applicable practices, but must document that covered…
Physician qualifications under the noise standard
A hearing-conservation organization asked who counts as a physician under OSHA’s noise standard. OSHA said testing may be performed by listed qualified professionals or a competent technician under…
Goatees and tight-fitting respirators
A requester asked whether a worker with a neatly trimmed goatee may wear a respirator after passing a fit test. OSHA said facial hair is allowed only if it does not come between the face and sealing…
Fiscal Year 2016 Trade Adjustment Assistance state allocations Withdrawn
ETA set out states’ initial Fiscal Year 2016 Trade Adjustment Assistance funding for training and related services. It explained the allocation method and how states could request reserve funds; the…
Fiscal Year 2016 WOTC state funding allotments Withdrawn
ETA allocated the remainder of Fiscal Year 2016 funds to state workforce agencies for Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration. Attachment I lists each state’s allotment and Attachment II sets the…
Hearing-loss recordkeeping and hearing protector attenuation
A hearing professional asked whether estimated protection below 85 decibels automatically excuses recording a worker’s hearing shift. OSHA said protection may be considered in assessing…
ApprenticeshipUSA grant application number correction Withdrawn
ETA corrected the federal assistance catalog number that states had to enter when applying for ApprenticeshipUSA State Accelerator Grants: 17.285 replaces 17.201. It also updated the contact for…
Sleep time for domestic service workers
WHD explained when an employer can exclude sleep time for live-in and other domestic-service employees, how much may be excluded, and when interruptions must be paid. It provides examples and a…
ApprenticeshipUSA State Accelerator Grants Withdrawn
ETA announced State Accelerator Grants of up to $250,000 to help states expand and diversify registered apprenticeships. It set eligibility, application, budget, and planning requirements; its…
Shipyard competent persons and non-OSHA exposure limits
A marine chemist asked whether a shipyard competent person may direct protective measures when a chemical exceeds a recommended exposure limit but has no OSHA permissible exposure limit. OSHA said…
Unemployment compensation changes for ex-servicemembers
ETA told state workforce agencies how the 2015 defense law changed unemployment compensation for ex-servicemembers. For reservists whose active service began on or after November 25, 2015,…
Apprentice wage calculation on public works, plus 2020 supplemental guidance on training-fee fringe benefits
The City of Reno asked the Labor Commissioner to confirm that apprentice wages set by collective bargaining agreements met Nevada's public-works prevailing wage requirements for apprentices. The…
Program Year 2016 SCSEP state and territory grants Rescinded
ETA gave Senior Community Service Employment Program state and territory grantees their Program Year 2016 allotments and application instructions. Four attachments set funding, narrative, assurance,…
Program Year 2016 WIOA and Wagner-Peyser allotments Withdrawn
ETA gave states Program Year 2016 allotments for WIOA adult, dislocated worker, and youth activities, Wagner-Peyser employment services, and workforce information grants. Eight attachments provide…
2016 benefit accuracy measurement reporting schedule Withdrawn
ETA gave state workforce agencies deadlines for completing and checking their 2016 unemployment insurance benefit accuracy data. States were asked to report discrepancies, which ETA staff would…
Fiscal year 2016 sequestration for unemployment programs Withdrawn
ETA explained how federal sequestration would affect unemployment insurance and related programs in fiscal year 2016. It described reductions for extended benefits, residual emergency unemployment…
Disaster unemployment assistance amounts for April–June 2016 Withdrawn
ETA sent state workforce agencies the minimum Disaster Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts for major disasters declared from April through June 2016. Its attached table gives each state's…
SCSEP four-year state plan requirements for 2016–2019 Withdrawn
ETA explained what Senior Community Service Employment Program grantees needed in their four-year state plans for Program Years 2016–2019, including how to submit SCSEP as part of a combined WIOA…
Fiscal Year 2016 foreign labor certification grant planning Withdrawn
ETA gave state workforce agencies the annual grant planning and management instructions for Fiscal Year 2016 foreign labor certification work. Its attachments provide the planning package, annual…
Quarterly bonus payout timing and forfeiture on termination
A winery asked whether its quarterly sales-and-membership bonus program could pay out once a quarter instead of every pay period, and whether an employee who leaves before the quarter ends could be…
Needleless vascular connectors and sharps protection
A requester asked whether healthcare employers must use needleless vascular connectors and whether a safety needle could be used instead or inserted into a needleless system. OSHA said needleless…
Restoration of Program Year 2015 WIOA advance allotments Withdrawn
ETA restored the reduction in 2015 WIOA adult and dislocated worker advance allotments and decided not to reallot certain Program Year 2015 funds based on prior year obligations. Two attachments…
WIOA unified and combined state plan requirements Withdrawn
ETA explained how states should prepare and submit unified or combined plans under WIOA, including content, deadlines, participating programs, and modifications. The guidance applied to the initial…
Fiscal year 2016 state unemployment insurance allocations Withdrawn
ETA gave state unemployment insurance agencies their fiscal year 2016 base allocations and instructions for above-base funding and supplemental budget requests. The letter describes administrative…
State unemployment confidentiality law submissions Unknown
ETA reminded state workforce agencies to submit their unemployment compensation confidentiality laws, policies and key decisions for federal conformity review using Form MA 8-7. The letter asked for…
On-the-job training wage caps and reimbursement waivers Withdrawn
ETA updated the state hourly wage caps used to reimburse employers for on-the-job training under named workforce grants. It also explained how reimbursement rate waivers applied during the…
2016 SCSEP poverty and income guidelines Withdrawn
ETA issued the 2016 federal poverty figures and 125 percent income limits used to determine Senior Community Service Employment Program eligibility. Grantees were instructed to use the attached…
Respirator fit tests for alternative head harnesses
A respirator maker asked whether switching between head harnesses on the same facepiece requires separate fit tests. OSHA said yes: harness material or attachment configuration can change the seal.…
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.