DOL to Host Two-Day Online Forum Next Week

The Department of Labor will host a two-day online forum next week during which the department will offer employers, workers and other industry watchers insight into compliance with federal laws concerning workplace issues.

The forum, “Protecting America’s Workforce,” will take place May 6-7, and include panel discussions and presentations from various DOL agencies including the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The DOL indicated that the IRS will also participate in the forum.

“Workers and businesses deserve clear, practical guidance on compliance with the laws enforced by the Department of Labor,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, in a statement. “We are proud to collaborate with our partners across the federal government to provide a platform for expert-level presentations designed to foster improvements to workplaces across America.”

Registration to attend the forum is required, although attendance is free, according to the department.

The agenda includes conversations around the department’s self-audit programs, which allows employers to voluntarily assess and correct compliance issues without facing penalties. By self-correcting, plan sponsors can save compliance costs and future compliance headaches.

According to the Department of Labor’s most recent Audit Quality Study from November 2023, 30% of employee benefit plan audits were found to have significant deficiencies, with large plans found to have more. In that same year, the DOL recovered $854.7 million through civil investigations and $444.1 million by resolving complaints.

The 2023 findings indicate that many violations went undetected by plan auditors or were not self-corrected by plan fiduciaries.

Also on the forum agenda is the relaunch of the DOL’s opinion letter program. Though the opinions are not legally binding, they provide guidance on how the DOL interprets and applies federal labor laws.   

The DOL has not issued an advisory opinion yet this year but released four in 2025. Only four opinions were released between 2020 and 2024, with none issued in 2021 or 2022.

The opinions issued last year included siding with Morgan Stanley in a deferred compensation dispute, finding that Citigroup Inc.’s racial equity program was unlawful, rescinding a prior opinion letter from 2023; and concluding that AllianceBernstein L.P’s Lifetime Income Strategy is eligible to be used as a qualified default investment alternative.