Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the launch of the department’s opinion letter program in June.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued six opinion letters clarifying how the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) apply in specific workplace situations. Topics include the learned professional exemption and reclassification, when bonuses count toward the regular rate of pay, overtime treatment of pre-shift roll calls, application of the section 7(i) commissioned-employee exemption in higher-wage states, how short school closures count toward FMLA leave, and whether travel time to medical appointments can be FMLA leave. The release directs the public to the division’s opinion letter page and compliance resources and highlights the department’s new opinion letter program.