June 19, 2025 • News

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 landing page to learn how to request a letter, what information to provide, as well as search previously published opinion letters by topic. 

The program will now include five enforcement agencies within USDOL:

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will issue opinion letters
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will provide letters of interpretation
• Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will release advisory opinions and information letters
• Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) will issue opinion letters
• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will provide compliance assistance resources 

Note that:

• Opinion letters are not binding on courts, nor do they interpret state and local laws. 
• They may be withdrawn or revised in the future.
• The issue at hand should be novel or unclear.
• Letters are answered at the discretion of the agencies.

For more information, see the USDOL press release.