Department of Labor Issues New Wage & Hour Opinion Letters

This is the text area for this paragraph. 6 new opinion letters to help promote clarity, consistency, and transparency in the application of federal labor standards:

• FLSA2026-1: Whether an employee’s role meets the criteria for the learned professional exemption under section 13(a)(1) of the FLSA, and, if so, whether an employer is nevertheless permitted to reclassify the employee as non-exempt.
• FLSA2026-2: Whether section 7(e) of the FLSA permits an employer to exclude certain bonus payments from an employee’s regular rate of pay. The letter also addresses how to include these payments in the calculation of employee overtime premiums if the payments must be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay.
• FLSA2026-3: Whether a union and employer can enter into a collective bargaining agreement that mandates a 15-minute “roll call” prior to each scheduled shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the FLSA.
• FLSA2026-4: Whether, for purposes of the overtime exemption for certain commissioned employees in section 7(i) of the FLSA, an employer in a jurisdiction in which the state minimum wage exceeds the federal minimum wage must use the federal minimum wage, or alternatively, the higher state minimum wage, to determine whether it has satisfied the minimum pay standard in section 7(i)(1), and whether tips are deemed compensation for purposes of section 7(i)(2)’s requirement that more than half the employee’s compensation consist of commissions.
• FMLA2026-1: How a school closure of less than a full week impacts the amount of leave a school employee uses under the FMLA.
• FMLA2026-2: Whether FMLA leave may be used for time spent traveling to or from medical appointments, including where an employee provided the employer with medical certification from a health care provider that confirms the employee’s need for the appointment, but the certification does not address travel to or from the appointment.

Opinion letters provide official written interpretations from the division, explaining how laws apply to specific factual circumstances presented by individuals or organizations.

Department of Labor: Opinion Letters 2026Jan

Total Rewards: Rising Costs, GLP-1s, & Policy Budges

 3 Statistics Every Benefits Consultant and Employer Should Know Heading into 2026
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 House Passes Bill to Extend Health Care Subsidies
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Trump Unveils Healthcare Affordability Plan 
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Total Rewards Summaries,  2026Jan

2026 IRS Retirement Contribution Limits

For 2026, 401(k)s have a $24,500 employee deferral limit (plus $8,000 catch-up for age 50+, or $11,250 for ages 60-63) and total limits of $72,000; IRA limits are $7,500 ($8,250 with catch-up for age 50+); SIMPLE IRAs are $17,000 ($21,000 with catch-up); and the overall defined contribution plan limit rises to $72,000, with higher thresholds for certain plans like SEP IRAs. 

401(k), 403(b), & TSP Limits (Employee Contribution) 2026Jan