Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Labor Nominees; Announces Committee Votes -
On June 18, 2025, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing on four nominees for a number of...more
Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to Raise the Minimum Wage -
Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced legislation on June 10, titled “Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2025,” that would raise...more
U.S. Department of Labor Expands Opinion Letter Program -
In an effort to increase official guidance and provide compliance assistance to the regulated community, the U.S. Department of Labor expanded its opinion letter...more
Chairs Walberg (R-MI) and Allen (R-GA) Seek Feedback to Reform the LMRDA -
The House Committee on Education and Workforce Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Chair Rick...more
Executive Summary -
It has been a turbulent start to 2025 as U.S. employers scramble to adapt to new executive orders, sweeping changes at federal agencies and a growing patchwork of workplace regulations at the state and...more
5/7/2025
/ Discrimination ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Foreign Workers ,
Immigrants ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
At a Glance -
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior...more
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior week....more
3/24/2025
/ Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRB ,
Trump Administration
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order ending the obligation to pay individuals working on or in connection with certain federal contracts or subcontracts a minimum wage currently set at $17.75 per hour....more
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior week....more
3/10/2025
/ Civil Rights Act ,
Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Executive Orders ,
Immigration Procedures ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Reform ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
OCR ,
Title VI ,
Unions
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior week....more
3/3/2025
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Immigration Reform ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Transparency ,
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act ,
Small Business ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters, as well as Littler’s published in-depth analyses of the prior week....more
On January 27, 2025, the president removed National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne A. Wilcox, leaving the Board with only two members: Chair Marvin E. Kaplan, a Republican, and Member David M. Prouty, a Democrat. That...more
2/4/2025
/ Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ,
Appeals ,
Employees ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Quorum ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions
Following on the heels of the January 27, 2025 dismissal of National Labor Relations Board Member Gwynne Wilcox and NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, President Trump fired two of the three Democratic Commissioners on the...more
On January 27, 2025, President Trump terminated Jennifer Abruzzo, the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, and Board Member Gwynne Wilcox. Abruzzo’s termination was widely expected (with some wondering why...more
The 2024 presidential election was like no other in modern history, and it is clear that across a range of measures the American electorate remains dramatically polarized. This presents a host of challenges for policymakers...more
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the workplace, lawmakers and agencies are grappling with how to regulate its use in employment settings, from hiring practices to employee monitoring. The next...more
The past year has brought sweeping changes to the world of work. Federal agencies finalized rules on minimum wage and overtime exemptions, union representation elections, pregnancy accommodations, OSHA inspections, and...more
A new General Labor Law (NGLL) was enacted by Law No. 12/23, of 27 December 2023, which came into force on March 26, 2024.The NGLL repealed the former General Labor Law (approved by Law No. 7/15, of June 15, 2015),...more
The U.S. Department of Labor released a final rule on April 23, 2024, raising the salary threshold to qualify for certain overtime exemptions under federal law. Most importantly, it significantly raises the minimum salary...more
4/24/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Highly Compensated Employees ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Salary ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Salaried Employees ,
Unpaid Overtime ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by a vote of 3-2 approved and issued its final rule that effectively bans employers’ use of all non-compete agreements (with very limited exceptions). The final rule is...more
4/24/2024
/ Competition ,
Confidential Information ,
Contract Terms ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Reform ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Trade Secrets
Under the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (known as the Closing Loopholes Act), as of January 1, 2025, intentional underpayment of employees’ wages and certain benefits will be a criminal offense, with a maximum of 10 years’...more
The U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule on January 9, 2024, defining “independent contractor” under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final regulation rescinds a 2021 rule defining the same term. In place...more
1/9/2024
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Final Rules ,
Freelance Workers ,
Gig Economy ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Reform ,
Misclassification ,
Wage and Hour
The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) is ringing in the new year with new, more employer-friendly guidance regarding an employee’s ability to use paid leave to “top up” Paid Family and Medical Leave...more
On October 26, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “the Board”) released a final rule setting forth the standard for joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA” or “the Act”). The rule...more
On August 30, 2023, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the “white collar” overtime exemption regulations applicable to executive,...more
8/31/2023
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Highly Compensated Employees ,
Labor Reform ,
Minimum Salary ,
Non-Exempt Employees ,
Over-Time ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions