Labor Department Plans Deregulation Over 60 Workplace Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor, under President Donald Trump's administration, is proposing to rewrite or repeal more than 60 workplace regulations deemed obsolete, aiming to reduce costly and burdensome rules. These changes would affect areas such as minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities, exposure standards to harmful substances, and working conditions at construction sites and mines. The proposals also seek to limit the government's ability to penalize employers for injuries or deaths occurring during inherently risky activities like movie stunts or animal training. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer described the initiative as the most ambitious effort to cut red tape across the federal government. Critics, including AFL-CIO's occupational safety director Rebecca Reindel, warn that these rollbacks could increase risks to workers, disproportionately impacting women and minority groups. The proposals will undergo a public comment period and several stages before any changes take effect.