On June 2, 2025, the Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sondery announced a renewed and expanded obligation by the US Ministry of Labor (DOL) for the issuance of interpretation letters, which are referred to as opinion letters or standard designs in order to provide clear, timely and authoritarian guidelines for the Federal Labor Laws. This initiative is intended to improve transparency, legal certainty and support for innovations in all DOL agencies.
Quick hits
- On June 2, 2025, the deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sondery announced the renewed obligation of the DOL to issue opinion letters in order to provide clear and relevant guidance to federal work laws.
- The DOL aims to improve transparency and legal certainty by issuing the letter of opinion, in which a decline in employers and employees in recent years, enables the requirements for the complex labor law requirements.
- The initiative also focuses on improving the accessibility and transparency of the process for the request of opinion letters, the support of innovations and proactive compliance in areas such as gig economy and artificial intelligence in employment.
Key developments
Restoration and expansion of opinion letter
The deputy secretary Sondery emphasized the intention of the DOL to prioritize the issue of opinion letters and to reverse a significant decline in their use during this and previous administration. For example, the Occupational Safety Agency (Osha), for example, published only two opinion letters or standard interpretations this year this year. Letters to opinion serve as official written answers to certain inquiries about the application of statutes, regulations and the case law on real workplace scenarios. The renewed focus aims to enable both employers and the employees who navigate the complex working law requirements, clarity and predictability.
Timely instructions and legal clarity
The deputy secretary Sondery emphasized the critical role of opinion letters as compliance instruments and provided relevant interpretations that employers are dependent on good faith, in particular in accordance with laws such as the law on Fair Labor Standards (FLSA), occupational safety and health law (OSH), the law on security and health law (mining) and others. The extended use of the DOL's expenses is intended to tackle problems on the job market, including those that relate to new technologies, the status of the independent contractor and compliance with wage and hour.
Accessibility and transparency
The announcement included an obligation to improve the accessibility and transparency of the process for inquiries and receive opinion letters. The deputy secretary Sonderling referred to earlier experiences both in the DOL and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and referred to efforts to optimize the procedures and to promote public engagements in this process.
Support for innovation and proactive compliance
The deputy secretary Sondery confirmed that opinion letters not only illustrate legal obligations, but also promote an environment that promotes innovations and proactive compliance. He cited the importance of clear guidelines in areas such as the gig economy, artificial intelligence for the employment and self-confidence of employers who benefit from the agency that benefits from timely and detailed interpretations.
Diploma
The announcement of the deputy secretary Sondery is a significant shift in the direction of greater transparency, responsiveness and legal certainty on the dol. By restoring and expanding the use of interpretation letters, the department tries to better support employers and employees in order to understand and fulfill the Federal Labor Laws, while a rapidly developing work environment.