The US Labor Department will stop allowing employers to pay disabled workers less

The US Labor Department plans to end a program that lets employers pay disabled workers less than minimum wage. This means employers will no longer get special certificates to pay subminimum wages based on productivity.

For decades, some employers could pay disabled workers less than minimum wage, arguing it created job opportunities. The Labor Department now says this is no longer true, citing expanded legal protections and employment options for people with disabilities. This change removes a long-standing exception in labor law, forcing all employers to meet minimum wage standards for these workers.