Tag: DOL guidance

DOL Confirms Cybersecurity Guidance Applies to Health and Welfare Plans

On September 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed its cybersecurity guidance applies to all employee benefit plans, including health and welfare plans. In 2021, the DOL issued guidance providing best practices in cybersecurity for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, recordkeepers, and plan participants. The retirement plan industry took notice and has generally made […]

Excited About the Potential of AI? Don’t Forget Legal Compliance

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just creating buzz. It’s also sparking both fear and enthusiasm, with some employers worried about the downsides and others eager to dive in and capitalize on the potential. No matter how it’s viewed, though, employers must focus on how this brave new world intersects with legal compliance. Guidance from the DOL […]

Tight Around the White Collar – The New Overtime Rule is Here

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has published its final rule amending the overtime regulations of the federal wage and hour law, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new rule requires an increase to the salary threshold for executive, administrative, and professional workers (EAP) and Highly Compensated Employees (HCE) to qualify for exemption from […]

DOL Weighs-In (Again) With Final Rule on Independent Contractors

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a final rule (the “Final Rule”) in January of this year, which took effect March 11, 2024, and changed how the DOL analyzes whether a worker is properly classified as an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). Employers that misclassify individuals as independent […]

DOL’s Proposed Rule Aims to Tighten Independent Contractor Definition

As the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) prepares to publish a new proposed rule on how individuals can be classified, employers are being warned to expect a tougher time justifying an independent contractor classification. The DOL will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on October 13 aimed at clarifying how workers can be classified under […]

misclassification

Determining Independent Contractors: Sometimes the Government Loses

There’s been an ongoing battle between employers and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) over when someone is considered an independent contractor versus an employee. A recent decision from the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse summary judgment (dismissal without trial) in favor of the DOL gives employers some guidance and reason for […]

Employers of Tipped Workers Advised to Be Ready for More Recordkeeping

Employers that take advantage of the “tip credit” will have to monitor and document their tipped employees’ tasks much more closely than they have in the past under a new rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The new rule, which takes effect December 28, says employers may take a tip credit only for […]

Hacker

Best Practices to Protect Your Data: Reviewing DOL’s Cybersecurity Instructions

With the recent spike in cybersecurity breaches rippling through all corners of the global business landscape, the surging interest in data protection has caused even the highest departments of state to take note and weigh in.  In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration issued a cybersecurity guidance to help […]

Intern

New Policy on Internships Puts DOL, Courts on Same Page

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) announcement that it is nixing its 2010 guidance on unpaid internships in favor of a less-rigid test puts the agency in line with recent appellate court rulings on the issue, according to an attorney following the matter.