Labor Laws & Money Blog

WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling today announced several newly Senate-confirmed senior agency leaders have officially joined the Department. The seven new agency heads were appointed by President Donald Trump to carry out the Administration’s mission of putting America First.“I’m honored to welcome this team of passionate and hardworking Americans to the Department of Labor. Their expertise and experience will be critical in achieving our shared goal of putting American Workers First. President Trump has assembled a formidable team, and together, we will deliver real results for our workforce and make the American Dream attainable again,” said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. “Each of these talented leaders has a proven track record of tackling challenges, and I look forward to working with them to support and protect wage earners, job seekers, and retirees across the country. We are ready to hit the ground running to promote commonsense policies and administer vital programs on behalf of the American worker,” said Deputy Secretary Sonderling.Employee Benefits Security AdministrationDaniel Aronowitz was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as assistant secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The former president and founder of Encore Fiduciary, formerly Euclid, Mr. Aronowitz has 35 years of experience in the professional liability industry as a coverage lawyer and underwriter and is a widely recognized fiduciary liability expert, thought leader, and advocate for sponsors of employee benefit plans. Before joining the Trump Administration, he was the author of The Fid Guru Blog, the Fiduciary Liability Insurance Handbook, the fiduciary liability insurance chapter of the Trustee Handbook published by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, and a co-author of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s Registered Professional Liability Underwriter training module on fiduciary insurance. He is a graduate of Ohio State University and Vanderbilt University School of Law and has achieved the RPLU+ designation from the Professional Liability Underwriting Society.Mine Safety and Health AdministrationWayne Palmer was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the assistant secretary of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Before his confirmation, Palmer served in the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Labor and previously as executive vice president of the Essential Minerals Association. He also served at the Department during the first Trump Administration as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, following roles as White House Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Secretary. Palmer also has 13 years of experience on Capitol Hill, including as a Senate chief of staff and legislative director. He began his career as a presidential management fellow at the Department of Commerce. A native of Easton, PA, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Penn State. He also holds a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationDavid Keeling was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the assistant secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Before his confirmation, Keeling served as director of global transportation safety at Amazon and previously as vice president of global health and safety at UPS, where he led global safety and compliance initiatives over a 36-year career. Keeling is a longtime leader in the workplace safety community, having chaired the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber Safety and OSHA Subcommittee and holding positions with the National Safety Council and American Society of Safety Professionals. He earned a degree in human resources leadership from Sullivan University.Office of Disability Employment PolicyJulie Hocker was sworn in as assistant secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy after being appointed by President Trump. She leads the Office of Disability Employment Policy with a focus on expanding opportunity, strengthening accountability, and delivering results for workers with disabilities. A recognized leader in workforce development and disability policy, she previously served as U.S. Commissioner on Disabilities at HHS, where she launched national initiatives to improve employment outcomes and strengthen compliance. Before joining the Department of Labor, she was an executive in consulting, advancing disability and Medicaid reforms and advising on legislation to expand access to care and economic self-sufficiency. She has also served on the boards of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Hocker holds an M.B.A. from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and a B.A. in economics and political science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Office of the Chief Financial OfficerDavid Castillo was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Department’s chief financial officer. Castillo most recently served as a financial advisor at Edward Jones Investments, where he worked for the last 18 years. Prior to joining the financial sector, he worked on several state and federal political campaigns, including former President Bush’s re-election campaign. He then held several prominent roles in the Administration, including as a deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs and as a director at the Department of Homeland Security. Castillo graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and holds a master’s degree from Gonzaga University.Office of the SolicitorJonathan Berry was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as the Solicitor of Labor. Before his confirmation, Berry was the managing partner of Boyden Gray PLLC, where he litigated, counseled, spoke, and wrote on labor and employment law and the regulatory process. He previously served at the Department of Labor during the first Trump Administration as acting assistant secretary in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy and at the Department of Justice as counsel to the assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy. Earlier in his career, Berry clerked for Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. on the Supreme Court of the United States and for Judge Jerry E. Smith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He also practiced law at Jones Day and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale College and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. Wage and Hour DivisionAndrew Rogers was confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. Before his confirmation, Rogers served at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as acting general counsel and previously as chief counsel and chief of staff. He previously served at the Department of Labor during the first Trump Administration as senior policy advisor to the administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. Rogers practiced law in the private sector at Littler Mendelson, PC and Paul Hastings LLP. He began his legal career clerking for Chief Judge Harvey Bartle III of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia with honors and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.    # # #

WASINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer today joined President Trump at the White House as the President announced the third most-favored-nation agreement, which will result in significant cost savings on fertility treatments. On the heels of the President’s announcement, the U.S. Department of Labor, joined by the Departments of Health and Human Services and Treasury, issued guidance designed to cut burdensome red tape, helping employers understand how to structure health benefits to expand access to fertility treatments like In Vitro Fertilization or IVF.“President Trump is once again keeping his promises by taking decisive action to make health care more affordable for women, striking a significant deal to lower pharmaceutical costs of fertility medications and treatments,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said. “To provide additional flexibility for employers and insurers, the Labor Department, along with HHS and Treasury, are issuing additional guidance to employers who want to expand fertility benefits. We will keep fighting to make the American Dream achievable again and ensure American families are always put first.”Following the President’s announcement today, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury issued new guidance in line with the President’s Executive Order 14216, “Expanding Access to In Vitro Fertilization.” The guidance clarifies existing categories of excepted benefits that employers can use to offer fertility benefits, including fertility treatment through a specified disease or illness policy, or offering reimbursement for those services through an excepted benefits health reimbursement arrangement.The departments also intend to propose rulemaking aimed at providing additional ways that certain fertility benefits may be offered as a limited excepted benefit. The departments are also considering whether to modify the standards under which supplemental health insurance coverage provided by a group health plan, including a supplemental benefit for fertility coverage, will be considered to satisfy the conditions for being an excepted benefit.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division today announced four opinion letters designed to promote clarity, consistency, and transparency in the application of federal labor standards.The opinion letters provide official written interpretations from the division that address real-world questions and explain how laws apply to specific factual circumstances presented by individuals or organizations, that may also have a broader interest to those impacted by the issue presented. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking steps to make government more efficient by actively responding to the needs of businesses and workers,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “These four opinion letters provide clear and consistent guidance to the public, ensuring employers have the information they need to comply with the law and positioning them for long-term success.”The opinion letters issued today are:FLSA2025-03: Addressing whether a restaurant employer may include “front-of-house” oyster shuckers in a traditional tip pool with servers for whom the employer takes a tip credit under section 3(m)(2)(A) of the FLSA.FLSA2025-04: Addressing whether “emergency pay” provided to firefighters and other employees of a city must be included in the regular rate of pay used to calculate overtime premiums under section 7(e) of the FLSA, and, if so, how to calculate the regular rate when such pay is included.FLSA2025-05: Addressing whether two entities that are physically connected, and whose ownership, management, and operations appear common, are jointly and severally liable for all aspects of compliance under the FLSA.FMLA2025-02-A: Addressing how to calculate the number of hours of Family and Medical Leave Act leave available to correctional law enforcement employees who work a fixed “Pitman Schedule” requiring 12-hour shifts over a two-week cycle that includes mandatory overtime.In June, Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the launch of the department’s opinion letter program, which expands the department’s longstanding commitment to providing meaningful compliance assistance that helps workers, employers, and other stakeholders understand how federal labor laws apply in specific workplace situations.The public is encouraged to use the division’s new opinion letters page to explore past guidance and submit new requests. The division will exercise discretion in determining whether and how it will respond to each request, which will focus primarily on attempting to address issues of broad-based concern.The Wage and Hour Division offers multiple compliance assistance resources to provide employers the information they need to comply with the law. Employers and workers can contact the division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE (487-9243).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of more than $86 million in Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to 14 states to accelerate innovation, strengthen domestic production, and address critical workforce needs across the country, with more than $20 million of the funding supporting the revitalization of the domestic shipbuilding industry, training workers in welding, marine electrical, manufacturing, and other skilled trades.Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, these grants will provide outcome-based reimbursements to employers for providing training in high-demand and emerging industries that align with President Trump’s Executive Order 14278, Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future, and Executive Order 14629, Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance. These priorities are also in line with the goals published in America’s Talent Strategy and America’s AI Action Plan.“President Trump has directed the Labor Department to Make America Skilled Again by providing states with the resources they need to expand on-the-job training opportunities,” said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “By investing more than $86 million in workforce development initiatives across the country, we are carrying out our responsibility to prepare American workers to fill the mortgage-paying jobs being created by this Administration’s efforts to revitalize American manufacturing, shipbuilding, energy production, and other critical industries. This is how we keep America working and winning.”Applicants were required to propose a model to award funds to employers for training and retaining newly hired and incumbent workers in high-growth and emerging industries critical to American competitiveness. The department awarded Industry-Driven Skills Training Fund grants to the following recipients:Arizona Department of Economic Security: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing.Connecticut Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing; construction; distribution, logistics, and transportation; health care; information technology; and shipbuilding.Technical College System of Georgia: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing, construction, and energy.Idaho Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing, domestic mineral production, and nuclear energy.Iowa Workforce Development: $4.7 million to support advanced manufacturing.Louisiana Workforce Commission: $7 million to support advanced manufacturing, AI-enabling occupations supporting data centers and digital infrastructure, and construction and industrial trades.Maine Department of Labor: $8 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and shipbuilding.Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity: $8 million to support shipbuilding.Mississippi Department of Employment Security: $5.7 million to support shipbuilding.Oklahoma Employment Security Commission: $6 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and AI infrastructure.Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce: $5 million to support advanced manufacturing, AI, nuclear energy, and technology infrastructure.Texas Workforce Commission: $5.4 million to support advanced manufacturing, aerospace, AI, aviation, biotechnology, chemical products, defense, energy, information technology, life science, petroleum refining, semiconductor, and shipbuilding.Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development: $7.3 million to support advanced manufacturing and generative AI.Wyoming Department of Workforce Services: $3 million to support advanced manufacturing, construction, domestic mineral production, finance and insurance, information technology, health care, and nuclear energy.The department initially announced the funding availability in early August. Dependent on the availability of funding, the department anticipates additional rounds of grants. 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $250,000 in Brookwood-Sago grant funding to three organizations in three states to support education and training initiatives that will help identify and prevent unsafe working conditions in and around the nation’s mines.Administered by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program will help recipients to create comprehensive training materials, promote and conduct mine safety training or educational programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. In awarding the grants, MSHA gave special emphasis to fund education and training programs focused on workplace safety and health hazards faced where critical materials and other minerals are mined. Training and education supported by the grants align with the Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety grant program’s mission, as well as key MSHA priorities including mine rescue, powered haulage safety, fall safety, and better protection of miners from exposure to silica dust hazards. Established under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, the grant program honors 25 miners who perished in mine disasters at the Jim Walter Resources #5 mine in Brookwood, Alabama, on Sept. 23, 2001, and at the Sago Mine in Buckhannon, West Virginia, on Jan. 2, 2006.The recipients of the 2025 Brookwood-Sago grants are as follows:RecipientCityStateAmountUniversity of ArizonaTucsonAZ$80,000The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA$50,000South Dakota School of Mines & TechnologyRapid CitySD$120,000Learn more about MSHA.