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On June 2nd, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a relaunch of its opinion letters program. Specifically, the opinion letters program was expanded and offers employers legal interpretations of federal laws. These federal laws span across five federal enforcement agencies and include such topics as wage and hour, workplace safety, and others. Earlier, in May, the DOL announced that it intends to reexamine the 2024 Overtime Protections Minimum Salary Rule.
Overview of the June 2 Announcement
In summary, on June 2, the DOL released a statement announcing the program’s return. According to the agency, the opinion letters program will provide meaningful compliance assistance. This assistance helps workers, employers, and other stakeholders in businesses of all sizes understand how federal labor laws apply in specific workplace situations.
Which Agencies Are Participating in the Opinion Letters Program?
The program spans five key enforcement agencies within the DOL. The different departments will either offer opinion letters, letters of interpretation, advisory opinions, information letters, or other various resources. The participating agencies are:
- The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will issue opinion letters.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will provide letters of interpretation.
- The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) will release advisory opinions and information letters.
- The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) will issue opinion letters.
- The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) will provide compliance assistance resources through its new MSHA Information Hub, a centralized platform offering guidance, regulatory updates, training materials, and technical support.
What Are Opinion Letters?
Opinion letters provide official written interpretations from the DOL’s enforcement agencies. Specifically, the letters explain how laws apply to specific factual circumstances presented by individuals or organizations. Chiefly, by addressing real-world questions, they promote clarity, consistency, and transparency in the application of federal labor standards. Although the letters are not binding in courts, anyone at any business of any size can request an opinion letter.
How Do I Access the Opinion Letters?
To support its efforts, the DOL has launched a new landing page. Indeed, the new site allows users to explore past guidance and provides an easy way to submit new requests to the appropriate agency. Employers can submit a request if the:
- question is based on specific, real-world facts.
- issue is novel or unclear.
- request falls under the jurisdiction of one of the five participating agencies.
Employer Takeaways
In conclusion, employers should take full advantage of these new and updated resources. To begin with, businesses may want to consult with their legal counsel to audit their current employment practices. This would include reviewing the latest opinion letters against current company policies, especially in areas such as wage classification, overtime exemptions, safety programs, and benefits administration. However, keep in mind that just as the Trump Administration updated and added to the current opinion letters, the next administration may do the same thing in four years. The letters currently available to employers should be viewed as temporary assistance only. Employers may want to review the new website regularly to see what has been added and what may be removed in the future.
