In connection with the 33rd anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has posted a new series of short videos about the statute on its website. The FMLA Passed in 1993, the FMLA requires covered employers to provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of […]

OSHA Clarifies Key Compliance Expectations Through 7 Letters of Interpretation Recently, OSHA issued seven letters of interpretation clarifying its interpretation and enforcement of specific regulatory requirements. These letters address the following topics: Permit-required confined spaces; COVID-19 recordkeeping and reporting status; Powered industrial truck (PIT) training; Recordkeeping software; Engineering control standards for benzene and 1,3-butadiene; Audiometric […]

OSHA Provides Letter of Interpretation on Injuries Caused by Personal Lithium-Ion Batteries OSHA published a letter of interpretation regarding the recordkeeping regulation at 29 CFR 1904, addressing whether workplace injuries resulting from the use of personal rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are work-related for purposes of OSHA recordkeeping. Interpretation letters provided by OSHA clarify how it applies […]

DOL Recovers More Than $295 Million in Back Wages in FY 2025 The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that it recovered more than $295 million in back wages for nearly 177,000 employees in fiscal year (FY) 2025. The wage recoveries averaged $1,465 per worker. This is the highest recovery of back wages since […]

DOT Issues Drug and Alcohol Testing Compliance Notice in Response to Marijuana Executive Order On Dec. 19, 2025, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a drug and alcohol policy and compliance notice in response to an executive order (EO) issued by President Donald Trump on Dec. 18, 2025, directing the Department of Justice to complete […]

DOL Clarifies FMLA Leave Calculation for Shift Workers With Overtime The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) recent Opinion Letter FMLA2025-02-A responds to an employer’s question about how to calculate intermittent or reduced schedule leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The question concerns correctional employees working 12-hour shifts plus mandatory and voluntary […]

2025 ACA Reporting: All Final Forms Released; Draft Instructions Available The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the final 2025 forms for Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056. While the final instructions have not yet been issued, draft instructions for 2025 are currently available. The 2025 Forms 1094-B […]

Updated Model Notices for Internal Claims, Appeals and External Review Now Available The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released revised model notices for initial adverse benefit determinations, appeal denials and external review decisions. The models have been revised to include taglines in applicable non-English languages to reflect the most recent Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate […]

IRS Releases Health FSA Limits for 2026 On Oct. 9, 2025, the IRS released Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (Rev. Proc. 25-32), which includes the 2026 inflation-adjusted limit on employee salary reduction contributions to health flexible spending accounts (FSAs). For plan years beginning in 2026, the adjusted dollar limit on employees’ pre-tax contributions to health FSAs increases […]