July 22, 2025
The proposed changes still have a few steps to go through before taking effect, including public comment for each one.
Under the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor plans to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete workplace” regulations, ranging from minimum wage requirements for specific industries to the standard for governing exposure to harmful substances.
The Labor Department stated that its goal is to reverse “the costly and burdensome rules imposed under previous administrations.” The department noted that the proposed changes would also fulfill President Donald Trump’s commitment to restore American prosperity through deregulation, and mark the most ambitious proposal to slash red tape of any department across the federal government.
“One of President Trump’s very first actions was directing his cabinet to dismantle the mountain of outdated rules that have held back American workers and businesses for far too long,” Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement. “The Department of Labor is proud to lead the way by eliminating unnecessary regulations that stifle growth and limit opportunity. These historic actions will free Main Street, fuel economic growth and job creation, and give American workers the flexibility they need to build a better future.”
Critics, however, argue that the 63 proposals would put workers at a greater risk for harm, and women and minority workers will feel the impact the most.
“People are at very great risk of dying on the job already,” Rebecca Reindel, the AFL-CIO union’s occupational safety and health director, told The AP. “This is something that is only going to make the problem worse.”
The proposed changes still have a few steps to go through before taking effect, including public comment for each one. Here’s a look at some of the proposed changes.
Proposed Changes to Labor Department Regulations
Paying Home Health Workers Under Minimum Wage
Some of the rollbacks would include paying home health care workers below the federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.25 per hour. Some of these workers, who care for the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with medical conditions that limit their mobility, would also be ineligible for overtime if there were no state laws that would prevent employers from doing so.
According to The AP, this would reverse changes made in 2013 under President Barack Obama and revert to the regulatory framework from 1975. According to the Labor Department, by lowering labor and compliance costs, the revision may expand the home care market and enable those in need to remain in their homes longer.
However, opponents argue that before the 2013 regulations, home care workers would often work 50 hours or more without receiving overtime pay.
Rolling Back Protections For Migrant Farm Workers
Under the Biden administration, the Labor Department finalized rules that provided protections to migrant farmworkers who held H-2A visas. The current administration says most of those rules are unnecessary and costly to employers.
The new proposal would rescind the requirement for most employer-provided transportation to have seatbelts for agricultural workers.
Protecting migrant farmworkers from retaliation would also end, as the department is proposing to reverse a 2024 rule that protects migrant farmworkers from retaliation for filing a complaint or testifying or participating in an investigation.
Lighting For Construction Spaces
Another proposed change concerns the provision of adequate lighting at construction sites. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) intends to rescind the requirement for employers to provide sufficient lighting at construction sites. OSHA argues the regulation doesn’t substantially reduce the risk.
OSHA says if employers fail to provide adequate lighting at construction worksites, the agency can issue citations under its “general duty clause.”
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