The U.S. Department of Labor has recently revamped its website and many of its online materials. And yet, for some reason, these remain a secret to many employers looking for basic information on employment laws.

I’m not quite sure why.

It’s not as if the government is trying to "trick" employers into not complying with the law. And it’s not like the Department of Labor is only geared towards employees; there are plenty of resources geared to employers — particularly smaller ones.

And yet, employers seem shy about this.  It’s almost like they don’t trust their the government or themselves with the answers. 

Well, the DOL has just released a new guide for employers that is worth looking.

This week, the DOL updated one of its resources: The Employment Law Guide.  The Guide "describes the major statutes and regulations administered by the DOL that affect businesses and workers. The Guide is designed mainly for those needing "hands-on" information to develop wage, benefit, safety and health, and nondiscrimination policies for businesses."

Here are some of the topics:

  • Minimum Wage and Overtime Pay
  • Wage Garnishment
  • Child Labor Protections
  • Employee Benefit Plans – Employee Retirement Income Security Act
  • Family and Medical Leave – Family and Medical Leave Act
  • Lie Detector Tests – Employee Polygraph Protection Act
  • Notices for Plant Closings and Mass Layoffs – Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act
  • Reemployment and Nondiscrimination Rights for Uniformed Services Members – Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

Is it perfect? No.  Sometimes answers are simplified too much without some of the nuances highlighted. But overall, it’s a pretty good start for HR professionals or small business operators looking to get a good understanding of our nation’s labor laws.

Of course, for Connecticut, there are additional laws as well. But as I’ve highlighted before, the Connecticut Department of Labor also has a free resource guide as well. 

So, consider this a secret source of information that is a secret no more.