USDOL Re-Launches Opinion Letter Program
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has re-launched its opinion letter program providing compliance assistance to help stakeholders understand how federal labor laws apply in specific workplace situations. Opinion letters are official written opinions, and can be requested by anyone, including workers, employers, employment associations, lawyers, human resource professionals, unions and industry leaders. See the USDOL Opinion Letter […]
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Chambers USA 2025 Recognizes ES&A and Anna Elento-Sneed
Chambers USA 2025 has ranked Anna Elento-Sneed among Hawaii’s top labor and employment lawyers with a Band 1 ranking, the highest tier awarded. She has been ranked every year since 2007. ES&A has also been ranked among the top Hawaii labor and employment law firms by Chambers USA, which considered these primary factors in its […]
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Federal Contractors Legally Obligated to Maintain VEVRAA and Section 503 Compliance Internally
Executive Order 14173 (January 21, 2025) and subsequent U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) directives have effectively suspended the enforcement activities of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) related to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. However, since VEVRAA and Section 503 have […]
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USDOL Virtual Seminars on Prevailing Wage, June 25-26 and Sept. 24-25
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) will offer virtual seminars on prevailing wage, June 25-26, 2025, 5-11:30am HST, and September 24-25, 2025, 5-11:30am HST. These 2-day compliance trainings are designed for regional stakeholders (e.g., unions, private contractors, state agencies, federal agencies, workers). Day 1 will focus on the Davis-Bacon Act; Day 2 will focus on the […]
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USDOL Virtual Seminar on Federal Agricultural Requirements, June 25
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) will offer a virtual seminar on federal agricultural requirements on June 25, 2025, 4:39am-1:30pm HST. The seminar will offer guidance governing agricultural employment for growers, farmers, shippers, farm labor contractors, buyers, and agricultural workers. Topics will include the FLSA, H-2A temporary agricultural employment of foreign workers, Migrant and Seasonal […]
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Hawaii Small Business Assistance Initiative Survey Open Through June 6, 2025
The Hawaii State Procurement Office (SPO) invites small businesses to participate in a survey created by the Hawaii Small Business Assistance Initiative, which aims to ensure that small businesses – including those owned by veterans, Native Hawaiians, and women — can effectively participate in State of Hawaii contracting opportunities. Feedback collected by the online survey […]
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EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection Due June 24
On May 20, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the opening of its 2024 EEO-1 Component 1 Data Collection; deadline to file is June 24, 2025. The EEO-1 (Employer Information Report) is an annual collection of workforce demographic data, including data by job category and sex and race or ethnicity, to be submitted […]
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DEI Guidance for Employers: Multistate Guidance for Businesses on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Employment Initiatives in the Workplace
Multistate guidance issued February 13, 2025, by a coalition of attorneys general of 16 states, including State of Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez, affirmed the continued viability and important role of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts in the workplace. The coalition’s guidance reminds organizations that policies and practices that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility […]
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DEI Guidance for Employers: ELA Webinar on “Shock and Awe: How to Understand DEI After Trump EOs”
Recent executive orders have upended decades of federal guidelines and standards regarding equal employment opportunity, affirmative action and discrimination in the workplace. DEI programs within the federal government as well as among federal contractors have specifically been targeted and dismantled, and the intent is to identify “illegal” DEI efforts in the private sector as well, […]
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DBEDT Expects Hawaii 2025 Labor Market Conditions to Remain Stable
According to its recently released 2025 Quarterly Statistical and Economic Report (QSER) for the first quarter, the State of Hawaii Department of Business and Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) expects Hawaii labor market conditions to remain stable throughout this year. Hawaii’s unemployment rate, which was the 10th lowest in the U.S. for 2024, is expected to […]
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