The Division of Labor (DOL) is a important federal company that protects employees’ rights, ensures office security, and promotes employment alternatives throughout the US. Round since 1913, the DOL is the most recent authorities entity presently dealing with scrutiny from the newly shaped Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE).
On Friday, a federal decide declined to restrict DOGE—which isn’t an official authorities division, however a process power led by Elon Musk—from accessing the DOL’s techniques and delicate info. Not everyone seems to be blissful about that, as a result of they’re apprehensive Musk would possibly intestine the company in related trend to what’s being carried out with USAID.
However what does the DOL do? It is price realizing, as a result of the labor division impacts everybody who has an employer of some type.
What the Division of Labor really does
The mission of the Labor Division is “to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the US; enhance working situations; advance alternatives for worthwhile employment; and guarantee work-related advantages and rights.” The breakdown appears to be like like this:
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Office security: The Occupational Security and Well being Administration (OSHA), a part of the DOL, units and enforces office security requirements. This protects tens of millions of employees from hazardous working situations throughout industries.
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Wage and hour safety: The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division ensures employees obtain honest compensation, implementing minimal wage legal guidelines, extra time pay, and baby labor rules. As an example, in 2024 the division recovered greater than $273 million in again wages and damages for almost 152,000 employees nationwide.
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Employment rights: The division enforces federal labor legal guidelines that prohibit discrimination, shield employee advantages, and guarantee honest employment practices. This consists of oversight of minimal wage necessities, extra time compensation, office discrimination protections, and household and medical go away rights.
What legal guidelines does the Labor Division implement?
A number of the key labor legal guidelines the DOL enforces embrace:
Extra labor legal guidelines that the DOL enforces are listed right here.
To file a grievance about an employer violating your rights, you’ll usually want to collect private and work info together with your title and call info; the corporate you’re employed or labored for and its location, contact info and supervisor or proprietor; the work you probably did; your fee and information of hours labored.
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File office complaints on-line at www.dol.gov
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Name 1-866-4-USA-DOL for help
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Report wage theft, security violations, or discrimination
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Search details about employees’ rights
The underside line
The DOL’s impression extends to just about each American employee, defending basic employment rights and guaranteeing protected, honest working situations.
