Labor Protections and Welfare Reform

The Department of Labor has issued Guidance governing the application of minimum wage and hour laws to welfare recipients who are doing unpaid work as a condition of receiving benefits, with a reminder that requirements of laws affecting workers and the workplace must still be met. It says that in most cases the recipients should be considered "employees" under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and their benefits (cash benefits plus food stamps) must equal at least the minimum wage). The Guidance was issued in 1997 and revised in 1999.  It is still in force as of November 2012.