The Littler WPI Policy Week in Review will pause for the August congressional recess and will return after Labor Day.
Hiring Slowed to 73,000 Jobs in July -
Employment increased by 73,000 jobs in July according to the...more
“Big Beautiful” Reconciliation Bill Pending Final Passage in the House Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate passed the reconciliation bill by a narrow vote of 51-50, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote....more
7/3/2025
/ Budget Reconciliation ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Job Creation ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Reform ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
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
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
U.S. DOL Pauses Enforcement of Biden-era Independent Contractor Rule -
On April 29, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a press release announcing new guidance on how to determine employee or independent contractor...more
5/5/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employment Litigation ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Independent Contractors ,
NLRB ,
Over-Time ,
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
3/17/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Workweek ,
NLRB ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
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
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 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
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
Executive Summary -
Widespread economic uncertainty. Evolving workforce expectations. Accelerating use of artificial intelligence (AI). A shifting patchwork of local, state and federal regulations.
Numerous headwinds...more
5/10/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Leave of Absence ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Remote Working ,
State Labor Laws ,
Telecommuting ,
Wage and Hour
On January 4, 2023, the Biden administration released its long-awaited Fall 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. Typically, these semi-annual agendas are issued in the spring and fall and outline...more
1/6/2023
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
EBSA ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
NLRB ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Wage and Hour
Over the weekend, Senate Democrats defied midterm election historical trends and maintained control of their narrow majority in the Senate. In Nevada, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto narrowly defeated Republican...more
11/16/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Employee Rights ,
Employees ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Independent Contractors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Union Elections ,
Wage and Hour
I. The State of the U.S. Workforce -
In the early months of the pandemic, jobs declined by a staggering 22.2 million. The good news is that jobs recovery has been on the rise since February 2020. In July, the number of...more
On June 21, 2022, the Biden administration released its Spring 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. These semi-annual regulatory agendas outline federal agency goals for the months ahead. Although the...more
6/23/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Davis-Bacon Act ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Federal Labor Laws ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Relations ,
NLRB ,
OSHA ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
White-Collar Exemptions
The centerpiece of the Biden administration’s labor and jobs agenda is an increase in the federal hourly minimum wage to $15 an hour. Last year President Biden, via executive power, instituted a $15 minimum wage for federal...more