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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WIOA core program performance negotiations and sanctions, Change 2
ETA and the Education Department update how WIOA core programs negotiate performance targets, submit annual reports, and face sanctions for performance or reporting failures. The change aligns the…
Daily overtime for a '4/10s' employee who works more than ten hours in a day
A law firm asked the Nevada Labor Commissioner whether an employee who regularly works a "4/10s" schedule (four 10-hour days) owes daily overtime only for the hours over ten worked on the one day…
Isolation of utility piping in permit-required confined spaces
A university asked whether it must drain every water or steam line passing through a permit-required utility vault before entry. OSHA said the employer’s evaluation controls: piping must be isolated…
2025 locality pay rates for federal employees and unemployment claims
ETA points state unemployment agencies to the 2025 federal General Schedule locality pay rates published by the Office of Personnel Management. It says agencies may use those rates, with other…
2024 SCSEP national grantee allocations, Change 1 Rescinded
ETA issued final program year 2024 allocations for Senior Community Service Employment Program national and set-aside grantees and explained grant amendments, optional requests, and revised…
Equal Pay by Sex: The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, Part 1
This Division notice covers Part 1 of Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act: employers can't pay employees of different sexes differently for substantially similar work unless a specific,…
Speech and Organizing Rights for Government Employees under the Protections for Public Workers Act ("PROPWA")
This Division notice, with over 30 examples, explains the free speech, advocacy, and organizing rights of Colorado state and local government employees under the Protections for Public Workers Act…
Enforcement: Scope of Coverage; Notice of Rights; Protected Activity & Retaliation; Complaints & Remedies
This Division notice explains who is covered by Colorado's Agricultural Labor Rights & Responsibilities Act (which employers, employees, range workers, and other protected parties), the…
Prevailing wage coverage of security/building-automation "programming" work
Clark County Purchasing and Contracts asked whether "programming" work for access-control systems, the Metasys building-automation system, and camera/video systems -- installed under the Electrician…
Indiana college consortium health plan under ERISA Unknown
An Indiana college consortium asked if its health plan would be a single ERISA welfare plan sponsored by a group of employers. EBSA said the participating employers, including the nonprofit…
Construction Industry Paid Sick Leave Requirements
This L&I administrative policy explains paid-sick-leave rules unique to construction industry employers (NAICS code 23, excluding residential building construction): construction workers employed…
Minimum Wage Act Applicability
This L&I administrative policy explains who is covered by Washington's Minimum Wage Act (RCW 49.46): which employers must comply, the 17 categories of workers the statute exempts by name (casual…
Brewery owner who tends bar may not take pooled tips
A brewery asked whether an owner who manages bartenders and also tends bar can share their pooled tips. WHD said an owner with at least a 20 percent interest who actively manages the business is a…
Educational assistance and wage garnishment earnings
WHD considered an employer’s payments and reimbursements under a tax-free educational assistance program described in Internal Revenue Code Section 127. On the facts given, it said those benefits…
Minimum Disaster Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts, January–March 2025
ETA gives state workforce agencies the minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amounts for major disasters declared from January 1 through March 31, 2025. States use half their average…
2025 federal military pension cost-of-living adjustments
ETA tells state unemployment agencies about cost-of-living increases to federal military retired pay and survivor benefits effective December 1, 2024. Where state law reduces unemployment benefits…
National Dislocated Worker Grant program guidance
ETA explains how state and local workforce systems may seek and administer National Dislocated Worker Grants after disasters or major employment dislocations. The letter covers grant types,…
2025 cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security and federal civilian pensions
ETA tells state unemployment agencies about the 2025 cost-of-living increases for Social Security annuities and federal civilian pensions. Where a state's law reduces unemployment benefits based on…
Initial FY 2025 WOTC administration allotments
ETA gives state workforce agencies their initial FY 2025 allotments to administer the Work Opportunity Tax Credit under a continuing resolution. It explains the allotment formula and required…
Program Year 2024 National Farmworker Jobs Program Youth grants
ETA offered up to $925,200 in program year 2024 National Farmworker Jobs Program Youth grants to eligible career services and training grantees. The letter sets applicant and participant…
Sixty-day application deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance
ETA tells state unemployment agencies that people affected by major disasters declared on or after March 23, 2024 generally have 60 days to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. The clock runs…
Delivery Network Companies (DNCs): Driver Rights and Labor Transparency
This Division notice explains the Protections for Delivery Network Company Drivers Act, which covers app-based delivery platforms ("DNCs") like food-delivery apps. It requires DNCs to disclose pay,…
Asbestos precautions during disaster cleanup of homes
A property remediation requester asked how OSHA’s construction asbestos standard applies to damaged drywall and other materials in homes after disasters. OSHA said a comprehensive survey of every…
FMLA leave for treatment during a clinical trial
A research organization asked whether workers can use FMLA leave for treatment of a serious health condition in a clinical trial. WHD said eligible employees may do so when the usual FMLA…
Tool reimbursements in pipeline inspectors' overtime rate
A pipeline inspection company asked whether it could raise daily tool and equipment payments from $25 to $150–$200 and exclude them from inspectors' overtime rate. WHD said only actual expenses or a…
Ongoing administrative funding for expired pandemic unemployment programs
ETA explains how states can request continuing workload-based administrative funding for four expired pandemic unemployment programs: PUA, PEUC, FPUC and MEUC. States must use separate grants and…
Retirement of the combined-wage claim interstate notification application
ETA retires a rarely used application that let states report an employer's failure to answer questions about a combined-wage unemployment claim. Paying states still must tell the state where the…
Paraffin wax heat therapy and injury recordkeeping
A requester asked whether heated paraffin wax treatment makes a work-related injury recordable. OSHA said paraffin wax used alone as heat therapy counts as first aid and does not make a case…
Inspection guidance for animal slaughter and processing
OSHA instructed inspectors how to assess hazards in animal slaughtering and processing establishments, including machinery, lockout, slips, noise, chemicals and ergonomics. The memorandum expands…
ETA grant implementation of 2024 OMB financial assistance rules
ETA tells its grant recipients and subrecipients when the 2024 revisions to OMB's federal financial assistance rules apply. Awards and new funding issued on or after October 1, 2024 generally use…
Fiscal year 2025 sequestration of mandatory unemployment programs Unknown
ETA tells state unemployment agencies which federally funded programs were subject to the 5.7 percent fiscal year 2025 sequestration cut. It says the federal share of Extended Benefits, certain…
School Week and Work Week for Minors
This L&I administrative policy sets out the maximum hours and permitted start/end times minors may work in Washington, in both non-agricultural and agricultural jobs, broken down by age group…
Minimum Disaster Unemployment Assistance weekly benefit amounts, October–December 2024
ETA gives state workforce agencies the minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amounts for major disasters declared from October 1 through December 31, 2024. States use half their average…
End of health coverage tax credit data submissions by states
ETA tells state workforce agencies to stop sending Health Coverage Tax Credit data through the interstate system because the credit expired and the IRS closed its related operations. States must…
End of Health Coverage Tax Credit data submissions
ETA tells state workforce agencies to stop sending Health Coverage Tax Credit data through the ICON system because the credit ended in 2021 and the IRS is closing related operations. States must…
Preliminary fiscal year 2025 state unemployment insurance planning targets Superseded
ETA gave state unemployment agencies preliminary fiscal year 2025 funding and staffing targets based on the President's Budget request, along with allocation methods and grant instructions. The…
Elimination of the initial interstate unemployment claim form IB-1
ETA eliminates Form IB-1, once used to pass an initial unemployment claim from a claimant's state of residence to the state responsible for paying benefits. All states can now accept applications…
Supplemental funding for ongoing CARES Act unemployment program administration
ETA offered up to $182.38 million in supplemental funding for state agencies still administering or closing out four CARES Act unemployment programs. The money was for work such as reporting,…
Attendance-point discipline for using paid leave, and the collective-bargaining-agreement exemption
A law firm asked the Nevada Labor Commissioner whether an employer with a collective bargaining agreement providing generous paid leave is exempt from Nevada's mandatory paid-leave law (NRS…
Veterans grant staff roles at American Job Centers
ETA explains how American Job Center staff and Jobs for Veterans' State Grants staff should coordinate services to veterans. It describes screening, referral, case management, and limits on what…
FY 2024 community project grant application instructions
ETA gives the named FY 2024 Community Project Funding recipients instructions for applying for their designated workforce grants. It lists eligible applicants and award amounts in an appendix and…
Rim wheel rules for European commercial metric tires
A tire association asked whether OSHA’s rim wheel servicing standard covers commercial van tires marked “C” rather than “LT.” OSHA said the standard applies to C-type tires, although a deviation in…
FY 2024 Trade Adjustment Assistance training fund distribution
ETA gives states their FY 2024 Trade Adjustment Assistance Training and Other Activities allocations and explains how to request and manage the funds. Each state receives at least $100,000, with…
Fiscal year 2025 unemployment insurance State Quality Service Plans Unknown
ETA told state unemployment insurance agencies how to prepare their fiscal year 2025 State Quality Service Plans and submit them by deadlines set by their regional offices. The letter covers…
Move unemployment insurance validation and tax applications to UIRS
ETA directed state unemployment insurance agencies to send Data Validation and Tax Performance System data through the new Unemployment Insurance Reporting System beginning July 15, 2024. The older…
Out-of-state apprenticeship program reciprocity under the Apprenticeship Utilization Act
On behalf of the Air Conditioning Trade Association (ACTA), an HVAC apprenticeship program registered in California and South Carolina but not yet registered with Nevada's State Apprenticeship…
Revised military discharge forms for unemployment claims
ETA told state unemployment insurance agencies how revised military discharge forms affect claims by former service members. States may use DD Forms 214 and 215 to determine eligibility for…
Fiscal year 2024 state unemployment insurance resource allocations
ETA gave state unemployment insurance agencies their fiscal year 2024 base allocations and instructions for resource planning, above-base funding and supplemental budget requests. The letter…
Minimum disaster unemployment assistance amounts for July–September 2024
ETA provided the minimum weekly Disaster Unemployment Assistance amount for each state for major disasters declared from July 1 through September 30, 2024. State agencies use the attached table when…
Prevailing wage on Tourism Improvement District projects, and retroactivity before TID approval
An attorney asked five questions about how NRS Chapter 338's prevailing wage requirements apply to Tourism Improvement District (TID) projects under NRS Chapter 271A -- particularly what happens…
Program Year 2024 WIOA Native American program allotments
ETA gives WIOA Indian and Native American grantees their program year 2024 Comprehensive Services and Supplemental Youth Services allotments. It explains the Grants.gov application documents and how…
Reporting suspected fraud and program abuse in ETA grants
ETA directs recipients and subrecipients of its federal assistance awards to document and immediately report suspected or known fraud, program abuse, or criminal misconduct involving grant funds.…
WIOA core program performance accountability, Change 3
ETA and the Education Department update performance reporting guidance for WIOA's six core programs. They align the employer-effectiveness measure with retention by the same employer and clarify…
2024 workforce and labor market information grant deliverables
ETA tells state workforce agencies what labor market information products and activities their program year 2024 grants must support. The letter requires a workforce information database, public…
Unemployment benefit payments through state debit cards
ETA reminded state agencies that people receiving unemployment benefits must have reasonable access to each full payment without a fee and cannot be forced to use a particular debit card or bank.…
Transparency in Pay and Job Opportunities: The Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, Part 2
This detailed Division notice covers Part 2 of Colorado's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the nation's first job-posting pay-transparency law: employers must disclose compensation, benefits, and…
Payment of Earned Vacation upon Separation of Employment
This Division notice explains that Colorado employers who offer paid vacation must pay out all earned, unused vacation pay when an employee's job ends, and that no policy or agreement can forfeit…
Program Year 2024 SCSEP allotments and grant applications Rescinded
ETA gave Senior Community Service Employment Program state, territorial, and national grantees program year 2024 allotments and application instructions. National grantees received funding for a…
FY 2024 WOTC final allotments and backlog funding, Change 2
ETA gives state workforce agencies the remaining FY 2024 Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration allotments. It also identifies 13 states selected for extra funding to reduce certification…
Program Year 2024 WIOA and Employment Service allotments
ETA gives states and outlying areas program year 2024 allotments for WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth activities, the Wagner-Peyser Employment Service, and Workforce Information Grants. It…
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.