News & Analysis as of

Regulatory Reform Department of Labor (DOL) Biden Administration

Morgan Lewis

US Department of Labor Rolls Back Biden-Era FLSA Practices

Morgan Lewis on

The US Department of Labor has recently rolled back two critical Biden-era wage and hour practices. First, the DOL has stated that it will no longer enforce the 2024 Final Rule’s framework for determining employee or...more

Stoel Rives - World of Employment

OFCCP to Resume Veterans/Disability Enforcement, Administratively Close Pending Compliance Reviews

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer issued Order 08-2025 and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued a Bulletin explaining the Secretary’s Order.  Importantly for federal...more

Littler

DOL Withdraws Rule Aimed at Eliminating Subminimum Wages for Workers with Disabilities

Littler on

On July 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) formally withdrew its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would have amended 29 C.F.R. part 525 by phasing out the issuance of certificates authorizing subminimum...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

OFCCP closes all pending compliance reviews

They’ve all but shut the door, turned off the lights, and put up the “closed” sign. On July 2, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer lifted the pause on investigations and enforcement of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

United States DOL announces that it will no longer oversee the payment of liquidated damages in FLSA administrative hearings

Fox Rothschild LLP on

Last week the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor (“WHD”) made a significant announcement concerning the available damages in administrative proceedings. In a field assistance bulletin it...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

US Government Reopens Discussion of Private Pension Investments Expectations

Latham & Watkins LLP on

The Department of Labor has taken two recent actions that indicate where the approach to retirement investment policy may go under the new administration....more

Foley & Lardner LLP

In Case You Missed It: DOL Prohibited From Collecting Liquidated Damages in Wage & Hour Pre-Litigation Investigations

Foley & Lardner LLP on

In case you missed it, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a News Release on Friday, June 27, 2025, announcing it would no longer seek liquidated damages during pre-litigation investigations or associated settlements (this...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

OFCCP Invites Voluntary Disclosures from Federal Contractors Regarding Executive Order 14173

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

In a letter dated June 27, 2025, sent to federal contractors and posted on its website, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced it is providing federal contractors the option to voluntarily submit...more

Venable LLP

A Glimmer of Hope for Employers Who Rely on Gig Workers: The DOL Will Not Enforce the 2024 Independent Contractor Rule

Venable LLP on

Positive news for employers: the Department of Labor (DOL) announced it will no longer enforce the 2024 Biden-era independent contractor final rule that aimed to reclassify gig workers as employees rather than independent...more

Morgan Lewis - ML Benefits

US Administration Announces Intent to Replace Biden-Era ESG Rule

The US Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) position on the appropriateness of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing strategies in ERISA-regulated retirement plans has ping-ponged for decades (as we’ve covered...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Here we go again

Here’s the short version: the Department of Labor’s decision to reopen the Biden-era ESG rule is overdue—and welcome....more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Crypto in 401(k) Plans? Sure—But Let’s Not Lose Our Minds

Well, that didn’t take long. In what’s becoming a routine political tug-of-war, the Trump administration (yes, back again) has rescinded the Biden-era Department of Labor (DOL) guidance cautioning plan sponsors against...more

Stoel Rives - World of Employment

DOL Signals Business Friendly Independent Contractor Standard: What Employers Need to Know

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently stated that it will not enforce an employee-friendly independent contractor rule implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 (“Biden Rule”). The Biden Rule made it more...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

ESG Investing in 401(k) Plans – More Rule Changes on the Way

Troutman Pepper Locke on

In our recent client alert, “Texas Federal Court Allows an ERISA Fiduciary Challenge Against Alleged “ESG Investing” Without Any ESG Funds,” we reported that a Texas district court recently upheld Biden-administration...more

Ropes & Gray LLP

Trump DOL Withdraws Biden-Era ESG Rule and Crypto Guidance for ERISA Plans

Ropes & Gray LLP on

On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) began to articulate the Trump administration’s retirement policy priorities with its decisions to (i) end its defense of the Biden-era ESG rule in a long-running lawsuit...more

King & Spalding

U.S. Department of Labor Updates: Yes to Crypto and No to ESG?

King & Spalding on

On May 28, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) provided updated guidance on two employee benefit plan-related investment areas: (1) cryptocurrency and (2) environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) investing....more

Mintz

Trump Administration Will Replace the Biden Administration's Department of Labor Rule Permitting ESG Investing

Mintz on

3 Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Labor ("DOL") had issued a rule that permitted ESG factors to be considered when making investments on behalf of 401(k) plans. (This rule had replaced an earlier one from...more

PilieroMazza PLLC

Weekly Update for Government Contractors and Commercial Businesses – May 2025 #5

PilieroMazza PLLC on

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Model Deviation to FAR Part 10 - On May 22, the FAR Council released the model deviation text for FAR Part 10, Market Research. This deviation increases the flexibility of the...more

Kilpatrick

Trump Admin. Rolls Back Biden-Era Rules on 401(k) Plan Investments: Crypto and ESG

Kilpatrick on

The Trump administration has rescinded (or signaled that it will replace) current guidance that was issued by the Biden administration’s DOL regarding (1) retirement plan investments in cryptocurrencies (and other digital...more

Littler

DOL Reinstates Virtual Marketplace Platform Opinion Letter Signaling Return to Relaxed Independent Contractor Test and Acceptance...

Littler on

In recent months, the Department of Labor (DOL) has seen an overhaul of its agency leadership. First, President Trump appointed Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling, and more recently,...more

McAfee & Taft

Gavel to Gavel: It just got easier to classify workers as independent contractors

McAfee & Taft on

Surging changes to workplace laws understandably have employers suffering from whiplash. Historically, employment laws have shifted when presidential administrations have changed. A May 1 announcement by the U.S. Department...more

McAfee & Taft

DOL signals return to employer-friendly worker classification standards

McAfee & Taft on

Surging changes to workplace laws understandably have employers suffering from whiplash. Historically, employment laws have shifted when presidential administrations have changed. A May 1, 2025, announcement by the U.S....more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

DOJ Retracts Biden-Era Independent Contractor Classification Rule

On May 1, 2025, the United States Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) Wage and Hour Division announced it would not enforce or apply the Biden-era 2024 Final Rule regarding independent contractor classification (“2024 Rule”)....more

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

DOL Signals Abandonment of Current Independent Contractor Rule

No one should be surprised that the independent contractor pendulum—which swings towards making that classification harder in Democratic administrations and easier in Republican ones—is now tilting towards making it easier....more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

DOL Signals Changes to Independent Contractor Rule

On May 1, 2025, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin, announcing that it will no longer enforce a 2024 Biden-era independent contractor rule under the...more

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