Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, AGENCY NEWS—EEOC recovered $50K to resolve disability discrimination charge; WHD webinar explained expanded PAID program, (Jan 23, 2026)

By Pamela Wolf, J.D.

Also, a new DOL final rule delays until January 20, 2026, the compliance date of 2023 Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing Final Rule, and gives the DOL more time to complete ongoing rulemaking that may impact future staffing requirements.

The EEOC announced its recovery of $50,000 in back pay and damages from a hotel employer charged with violating the ADA when it forced a disabled person to quit her job. At the DOL, a final rule delays by one year the compliance date states must meet when implementing the merit staffing requirements for Employment Service, and a free virtual seminar discussed the expanded Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, which gives employers a chance to self-identify and resolve potential federal minimum wage, overtime, and leave violations.

Disabled worker forced to quit. Hare Krishna Lakeland, LLC, dba Motel 6 in Lakeland, Florida, resolved an EEOC charge alleging that the motel violated the ADA when it discriminated against, and ultimately forced to quit, an employee with a disability. As part of the three-year conciliation agreement resolving the charge, Motel 6 also agreed to implement policies to comply with the ADA, including specific provisions requiring the company to respond to requests for reasonable accommodations in a timely manner; provide annual ADA training to all management and non-management staff; report on accommodation requests for three years; and post a notice about EEO rights, which encourages employees to report allegations of discrimination.

“The hotel industry often faces persistent labor shortages,” said EEOC District Director Evangeline Hawthorne. “Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can effectively fill needed jobs with or without reasonable accommodations.”

Compliance date for Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing Final Rule delayed. In a final rule published on January 20, 2026, the DOL is delaying by one year the 2023 Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing final rule by which state grantees, as a condition on their grant funds, must comply with the regulatory requirements governing the grant-funded staffing models that states must use to deliver services in the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service. The 2023 final rule, which became effective on January 23, 2024, provided that all states have until January 22, 2026, to comply with the staffing requirements. Under the new 2026 final rule, the compliance date is now January 21, 2027.

The new final rule also allows the DOL to complete ongoing rulemaking that may impact future staffing requirements. In July 2025, the DOL proposed eliminating merit staffing requirements as part of its deregulatory effort to streamline program administration and put American workers first.

The Employment Service is a core program of WIOA that provides assistance in American Job Centers nationwide. Managed by the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, WIOA programs help jobseekers find work and help businesses find workers. The Trump Administration’s blueprint for transforming the federal government’s approach to workforce development, “America’s Talent Strategy,” calls for empowering states with the flexibility to integrate systems and improve the delivery of services to America's workers.

Virtual seminar explained expanded PAID program. On January 22, 2026, the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) offered a free, virtual seminar about the recently relaunched PAID program, which provides employers the opportunity to self-identify and resolve potential minimum wage, overtime, and leave violations under federal labor laws. The seminar included a panel discussion with regional and national experts from the WHD and Office of the Solicitor. The experts provided an overview of the PAID program and answered questions.

Originally launched in 2018, PAID has new enhancements, resources, and tools. The program has several of the same objectives as before, including resolving wage violations under the FLSA, and now has expanded to include the FMLA. PAID assists employers seeking to correct violations efficiently and without any litigation costs, improve compliance, and ensure employees receive FLSA back wages and FMLA remedies quickly.

Companies: Hare Krishna Lakeland, LLC; Motel 6

News: AgencyNews Discharge Discrimination DisabilityDiscrimination WageHour MinimumWage Overtime EmployeeLeave BenefitsNews FederalRegulations RemediesDamages