The U.S. Department of Labor just overhauled OSHA’s penalty guidelines to give small employers and safety-conscious businesses a financial break. Effective immediately, the new policy:
- significantly increases penalty...more
The US Department of Labor just relaunched and significantly expanded its opinion letter program, offering employers across five enforcement agencies a direct line to legal interpretations of federal laws on wage and hour,...more
6/6/2025
/ Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) ,
Opinion Letter ,
OSHA ,
Statutory Interpretation ,
VETS ,
Wage & Hour Division (WHD) ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
President-elect Trump surprised the business community on Friday night when he announced Lori Chavez-DeRemer as his nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Labor. Her selection was met by skepticism by some in the employer...more
11/25/2024
/ Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Foreign Workers ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Minimum Wage ,
Over-Time ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Small Business ,
Trump Administration ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Our firm’s Workplace Safety Practice Group has provided some general perspectives on what employers can expect under the next Trump administration – but it’s time for a deeper dive that OSHA and MSHA safety professionals will...more
In a groundbreaking move, federal workplace safety officials announced yesterday the first-ever national heat stress rule aimed at protecting workers from heat-related illnesses and fatalities. The proposed regulations from...more
The federal government recently issued a final rule permitting third parties – including union representatives – to accompany inspectors during facility walkarounds, raising many questions and concerns for employers from both...more
Employers need to take action to protect workers from heat illnesses and injuries as temperatures begin to rise nationwide – not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because federal workplace safety officials are...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just finalized a rule that will allow workers to designate a union representative to accompany an OSHA inspector during a facility walkaround — regardless of whether...more
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is close to finalizing a rule that will allow workers to designate a union representative to accompany an OSHA inspector during a facility walkaround — regardless of...more
This detailed set of Frequently Asked Questions, fully updated for 2023, addresses the workplace-related issues facing employers in the wake of hurricane-related disasters. In addition to legal obligations you need to...more
8/28/2023
/ Business Closures ,
Disaster Aid ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Privacy Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Hurricane Season ,
Labor Relations ,
Layoffs ,
Leave of Absence ,
Natural Disasters ,
Severe Weather ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workers' Compensation Claim ,
Workplace Injury ,
Workplace Safety
Last year, federal workplace safety officials implemented a new National Emphasis Program related to heat illnesses and injuries for both outdoor and indoor workers. As we discussed, OSHA put that in place on the heels of the...more