WAGE & HOUR OPINION LETTERS RETURN!

On June 27, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Wage & Hour Division would resume issuing Opinion Letters. The Obama Administration had discontinued the Department's long-standing practice in March 2010 in favor of "general guidance," which in practice allowed the Department greater latitude in changing its litigating position. "Reinstating opinion letters will benefit employees and employers as they provide a means by which both can develop a clearer understanding of the Fair Labor Standards Act and other statutes," said Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta. "The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to helping employers and employees clearly understand their labor responsibilities so employers can concentrate on doing what they do best: growing their businesses and creating jobs." The Department's announcement today can be found here - https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20170627.

The Wage & Hour Division had been publishing Opinion Letters for roughly seventy (70) years prior to the Obama Administration's suspension of the practice. Letters were issued in response to specific questions from employers regarding the statutes enforced by WHD, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The purpose of Opinion Letters was to "provide official written explanations of what the FLSA or the FMLA requires in fact-specific situations." In addition to providing guidance, Opinion Letters could, to a degree, be used to support a "good faith" defense in later litigation, relieving an errant employer from having to pay liquidated damages in the event a violation was found.

Numerous employer, industry and HR groups had called for a return of the practice. In conjunction with its announcement, DOL has created a new Web page that allows interested parties to search past Opinion Letters or submit a request: https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/.

We welcome the return of this traditional source of guidance, which is of great value to employers seeking to comply with these laws.