Jo Ellen Whitney

After reinstating its Opinion Letter Program, the U.S. Department of Labor has been active in answering questions through the opinion letter process, with two more letters in July focused on aspects of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Portal-to-Portal Act. Compensable Time In FLSA 2026-10, a letter issued July 22, 2026, the DOL answers a question that many employers struggle with, which is whether work done outside of the standard workday is compensable.

The Department of Labor recently ramped up its Opinion Letter Program, issuing six in the beginning of 2026. The letters have focused on the core tenets of DOL regulation. Two of the letters examine issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). School Closures and FMLA Leave In January, letter FMLA 2026-1, the question focuses on what happens when a school closes for a partial week when an employee was intending to use less than a full week of FMLA leave.

Horror movies have certainly had a resurgence over the last several years, but other than an escalating level of violence and gore they tend to rely on the same tropes we have seen forever from Plan 9 From Outer Space to Halloween.