Takeaways

• Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling had been serving as acting secretary of labor and previously held senior DOL roles, including deputy secretary and leadership positions in the WHD.
• Sonderling’s confirmation elevates a seasoned policymaker with prior leadership experience at both the DOL and EEOC.
• The DOL under Sonderling can be expected to continue to focus on compliance assistance and rulemaking to clarify agency regulations and to ease the regulatory burden on employers.

Related links

• We Get AI for Work: An Exclusive Interview with Keith Sonderling, Former EEOC Commissioner (podcast)
• DOL Resurrects PAID Program: Employers Can Self-Report, Resolve Violations
• DOL’s Proposed 2026 Independent Contractor Rule: What Employers Need to Know
• DOL Rethinks Joint Employer Standard: Proposal Revisits, Revises 2020 Rule
• Home Care Agencies and Their Clients Could Get Relief Through DOL Proposal to Reinstate Companionship, Live-In Exemptions

Article

The Senate on Sept. 30 confirmed Keith Sonderling to serve as secretary of labor on a permanent basis. Sonderling has led the Department of Labor (DOL) in an acting capacity since April 2026, when former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, appointed in 2025, resigned.

Sonderling was acting and deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) during the first Trump Administration, a key senior role overseeing enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other federal workplace laws. In addition to his...

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