# DOL Shifts Labor Enforcement Priorities

The U.S. Department of Labor is signaling that it may reduce enforcement activity in unionized workplaces when collective bargaining agreements provide adequate remedies, while prioritizing enforcement against large employers. DOL is also advancing rulemaking on independent-contractor classification and H-1B prevailing wages. For federal contractors and other employers, these developments make labor compliance, CBA grievance procedures, worker classification, and wage practices relevant to workforce and subcontractor oversight; the signal does not identify a contract opportunity or specific rulemaking deadline.

- Employers with unionized workforces should review whether their CBA grievance procedures provide the remedies relevant to the stated enforcement approach.
- Federal contractors should assess worker-classification practices and H-1B prevailing-wage processes, particularly where these affect contractor or subcontractor workforces.
- DOL’s stated focus on large employers and ongoing rulemaking may affect compliance planning, but the signal provides no effective dates or finalized requirements.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 15, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)

### Key Quotes
> Two core factors have consistently stood out. The nature and degree of the worker’s control over the work and the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss based on initiative and/or investment.
> — Jonathan Berry, Labor Solicitor