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 […]