The DOL announced these videos with this selling point: “Tired of poring through regulations and dense text trying to determine your legal responsibilities under federal labor law as an employer? We have a solution.” Well, we’re not sure that’s exactly accurate since they do not provide a comprehensive explanation of the legal responsibilities of covered employers.
While cute, the new videos do not delve into the often complicated, nuanced issues that employers confront under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) regulations. However, the videos are great basic education tools—as the DOL put it: “These brief, plain-language explanations of FLSA requirements strip away the ‘legalese’ and provide employers the basic information they need to understand their obligations and to comply with the law.”
Regardless, we wanted to update you on the DOL’s continuing efforts to engage employers in compliance efforts, as it continues to transition away from the “gotcha game” enforcement mode that had guided its actions during the prior administration.