In 2010, the Department of Labor stopping issuing "Opinion Letters" to assist employers and employees in understanding how labor regulations were applied to particular situations. Although not binding on either the DOL or courts, they were quite helpful and were issued with some frequency. Between 2010 and 2016, however, that practice was stopped and less formal "Administrative Interpretations" were issued on an infrequent basis. From 2010 to 2016, only 11 AI's were released.
Opinion Letters have been reinstated by Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, and already 17 OL's have been issued in 2018. To review them, click here.
