Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
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The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has published Field Assistance Bulletin 2012-3: General Guidance on Voluntary Assignments of Wages under the H-2A Program: http://www.dol.gov/whd/FieldBulletins/fab2012_3.htm.
This Bulletin provides guidance to WHD staff about certain enforcement issues with voluntary assignment of wages under the H-2A (Temporary Agricultural Employment of Foreign Workers) program. For further explanations of prohibited deductions under the H-2A program, see Field Assistance Bulletin 2011-2, H-2A “Prohibited Fees” and Employer’s Obligation to Prohibit Fees: http://www.dol.gov/whd/FieldBulletins/fab2011_2.htm.
The Department of Labor will withdraw its proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. The decision to withdraw this rule — including provisions to define the 'parental exemption' — was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders — such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H — to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices. Press Release.
On April 13, 2012, the Department published a notice to extend the comment period on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement and interpret statutory amendments to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees and make some additional regulatory changes. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was recently amended to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees. Because of the interest that has been expressed and the department’s desire to obtain as much information about its proposal as possible, the comment period has been extended through April 30. To view the proposed rule and submit comments, visit the federal e-rulemaking portal at http://www.regulations.gov and search by regulation identification number 1235-AA03.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has released a “Know Your Rights” video series in English and Spanish to provide workers with useful basic information in different scenarios that workers encounter in the workplace. The videos provide valuable basic information to correct common misinformation, such as what the federal minimum wage is; when overtime pay is due; when an employer has to pay an employee; whether off the clock work is compensable or not; who is an employee and who is an independent contractor; what rights young workers have; whether seasonal workers are subject to wage and hour laws or not; and how and what is needed to file a complaint with WHD.
The videos are available on the “Know Your Rights” Videos page.
On February 24, 2012, the Department published a notice to extend the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking that would provide minimum wage and overtime protections for nearly two million workers who provide in-home care services for the elderly and infirm to March 12, 2012, because of requests received to extend the period for filing public comments and the Department's desire to obtain as much information about its proposals as possible. On March 13, 2012, the Department published a notice to extend the comment period until March 21, 2012. Comments received between December 27, 2011, the date of publication of the NPRM, and March 21, 2012 will be included in the rulemaking record.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has published a notice to extend the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking that would provide minimum wage and overtime protections for nearly two million workers who provide in-home care services for the elderly and infirm. Because of requests received to extend the period for filing public comments and the Department’s desire to obtain as much information about its proposals as possible, the comment period has been extended to March 12, 2012. More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration and Wage and Hour Division issued a Final Rule on the H-2B program that amends its regulations governing the certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers performing temporary or seasonal non-agricultural labor or services and the enforcement of the obligations applicable to employers under the H-2B program. This Final Rule revises the process by which employers obtain a temporary labor certification from the Department for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The final rule also introduces new regulations that provide increased worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers. More information is available at the Final Rule Website.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was recently amended to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement and interpret statutory amendments to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees and make some additional regulatory changes.
Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule on or before April 16, 2012 at www.regulations.gov.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website.
On February 21, 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration and Wage and Hour Division will issue a Final Rule on the H-2B program that amends its regulations governing the certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers performing temporary or seasonal non-agricultural labor or services and the enforcement of the obligations applicable to employers under the H-2B program. This Final Rule revises the process by which employers obtain a temporary labor certification from the Department for use in petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The final rule also introduces new regulations that provide increased worker protections for both U.S. and foreign workers. More information is available at the Final Rule Website.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division will re-propose the portion of its regulation on child labor in agriculture interpreting the "parental exemption." The decision to re-propose is in part a response to requests from the public and members of Congress that the agency allow an opportunity for more input on this aspect of the rule.
On September 2, 2011, the Department published a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the child labor regulations issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act which sets forth the criteria for the employment of minors under 16 years of age in agriculture. The Department's proposed revisions include implementing specific recommendations made by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, increasing parity between the agricultural and nonagricultural child labor provisions, and also addressing other areas that can be improved, which were identified by the Department’s own enforcement actions.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was recently amended to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees. The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Wage and Hour Division intends to publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to implement and interpret statutory amendments to expand the military family leave provisions and to incorporate a special eligibility provision for airline flight crew employees and make some additional regulatory changes.
Upon publication of the notice, interested parties will be invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule at www.regulations.gov. Only comments received during the comment period identified in the Federal Register published version of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be considered part of the rulemaking record.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would provide minimum wage and overtime protections for nearly two million workers who provide in-home care services for the elderly and infirm. The proposal will revise the companionship and live-in worker regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act to more clearly define the tasks that may be performed by an exempt companion, and to limit the companionship exemption to companions employed only by the family or household using the services. In addition, the Department proposes that third party employers, such as in-home care staffing agencies, could not claim the companionship exemption or the overtime exemption for live-in domestic workers, even if the employee is jointly employed by the third party and the family or household.
Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule on or before February 27, 2012 at www.regulations.gov.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website
The White House announced that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division intends to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking that would provide minimum wage and overtime protections for nearly two million workers who provide in-home care services for the elderly and infirm. The proposal will revise the companionship and live-in worker regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act to more clearly define the tasks that may be performed by an exempt companion, and to limit the companionship exemption to companions employed only by the family or household using the services. In addition, the Department proposes that third party employers, such as in-home care staffing agencies, could not claim the companionship exemption or the overtime exemption for live-in domestic workers, even if the employee is jointly employed by the third party and the family or household.
Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule on or before February 27, 2012 at www.regulations.gov.
More information is available at the Proposed Rule Website
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has published a notice to extend the comment period on the notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the child labor regulations for young workers employed in agriculture. Because of requests received to extend the period for filing public comments and the Department’s desire to obtain as much information about its proposals as possible, the comment period has been extended to December 1, 2011.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has published a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the child labor regulations issued pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act which sets forth the criteria for the employment of minors under 16 years of age in agriculture. The Department's proposed revisions include implementing specific recommendations made by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, increasing parity between the agricultural and nonagricultural child labor provisions, and also addressing other areas that can be improved, which were identified by the Department’s own enforcement actions. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule on or before November 1, 2011 at www.regulations.gov.
For those individuals impacted by Hurricane Irene, WHD is providing a webpage to provide some basic resources to ensure that in this critical time individuals are paid properly for work they perform and receive the job-protected leave they are entitled. Visit the WHD Hurricane Irene Pay and Leave Webpage.
The Wage and Hour Division has issued a final rule to implement Executive Order 13495, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts. This final rule will be effective once the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FARC) issues regulations for the inclusion of the nondisplacement contract clause in covered federal solicitations and contracts, as required by the Executive Order. For more information, please visit the Nondisplacement Final Rule Webpage.
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of its first application for smartphones, a timesheet to help employees independently track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed. Available in English and Spanish, users conveniently can track regular work hours, break time and any overtime hours for one or more employers. This new technology is significant because, instead of relying on their employers’ records, workers now can keep their own records. This information could prove invaluable during a Wage and Hour Division investigation when an employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records.
The free app is currently compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch. The Labor Department will explore updates that could enable similar versions for other smartphone platforms, such as Android and BlackBerry, and other pay features not currently provided for, such as tips, commissions, bonuses, deductions, holiday pay, pay for weekends, shift differentials and pay for regular days of rest.
For workers without a smartphone, the Wage and Hour Division has a printable work hours calendar in English and Spanish to track rate of pay, work start and stop times, and arrival and departure times. The calendar also includes easy-to-understand information about workers’ rights and how to file a wage violation complaint.
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced protocols to complete the portion of the U-Visa Nonimmigrant Status Visa application that requires certification by a law enforcement agency that the visa applicant is a victim of a qualifying crime and is willing to cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of that crime. U visas, as they are known, are designed to help victims of qualifying criminal activities who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse. Individuals who receive U visas may remain in the United States for up to four years and may eventually apply for permanent residency. View the Protocols.
The Wage and Hour Division has published a final rule to revise regulations pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 (Portal Act) that have become out of date because of subsequent legislation. These revisions conform the regulations to FLSA amendments passed in 1974, 1977, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2007, and Portal Act amendments passed in 1996. For more information, see the final rule. See FLSA Provision Webinar.
Request for Information on Break Time for Nursing Mothers , Federal Register 75: 80073-80079, (2010, December 21): This notice is a request for information from the public regarding the recent amendment to the FLSA that requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a place for nursing mothers to express breast milk for one year after the child’s birth. The Department seeks information and comments for its review as it considers how best to help employers and employees understand the requirements of the law. For more information, see the Nursing Mothers Web page.
The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and the American Bar Association have announced an unprecedented collaboration providing for an Attorney Referral System. Beginning on December 13, 2010, when FLSA or FMLA complainants are informed that the Wage and Hour Division is declining to pursue their complaints, they may also be given a toll-free number to contact the newly created ABA-Approved Attorney Referral System. In addition, WHD will also provide prompt relevant information and documents on the case to complainants and representing attorneys. Please visit the Attorney Referral System Webpage for more information on this collaboration.
The Wage and Hour Division has posted a new fact sheet that provides general information on the break time requirement for nursing mothers in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), which took effect when the PPACA was signed into law on March 23, 2010 (P.L. 111-148). This law amended Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Read the new Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA. The Wage and Hour Division will issue additional guidance on the break time requirement in the near future.
The Wage and Hour Division issued an Administrator Interpretation clarifying the definition of "son and daughter" under the Family and Medical Leave Act to ensure that an employee who assumes the role of caring for a child receives parental rights to family leave regardless of the legal or biological relationship. FMLA AI 2010-3, Press Release
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule designed to protect working children from hazards in the workplace while also recognizing the value of safe work to children and their families. The Final Rule contains the most ambitious and far-reaching revisions to the child labor regulations in the last thirty years and marks another step forward in the Department’s ongoing effort to promote positive, safe work experiences for young workers. The provisions of the Final Rule will become effective on July 19, 2010. View a fact sheet on the current rule, hazardous occupations side-by-side comparison of new final rule and current rule, and Reg. 3 side-by-side comparison of new rule and current rule.
The Wage and Hour Division has issued information to ensure that workers participating in the response and clean-up of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are paid properly for the work they perform. For general information on how to file a complaint, see http://www.dol.gov/wecanhelp/howtofilecomplaint.htm
- Disaster Fact Sheet #72 in English
- Disaster Fact Sheet #72 in Spanish (PDF)
- Disaster Fact Sheet #72 in Chinese (PDF)
- Disaster Fact Sheet #72 in Vietnamese (PDF)
The Wage and Hour Division has posted general information to help determine whether interns must be paid the minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act for the services that they provide to “for-profit” private sector employers.
In order to provide meaningful and comprehensive guidance and outreach to the broadest number of employers and employees, the Wage and Hour Administrator will issue Administrator Interpretations when determined, in the Administrator’s discretion, that further clarity regarding the proper interpretation of a statutory or regulatory issue is appropriate. Administrator Interpretations will set forth a general interpretation of the law and regulations, applicable across-the-board to all those affected by the provision in issue. Guidance in this form will be useful in clarifying the law as it relates to an entire industry, a category of employees, or to all employees. The Wage and Hour Division believes that this will be a much more efficient and productive use of resources than attempting to provide definitive opinion letters in response to fact-specific requests submitted by individuals and organizations, where a slight difference in the assumed facts may result in a different outcome. Requests for opinion letters generally will be responded to by providing references to statutes, regulations, interpretations and cases that are relevant to the specific request but without an analysis of the specific facts presented. In addition, requests for opinion letters will be retained for purposes of the Administrator’s ongoing assessment of what issues might need further interpretive guidance.
The first Wage and Hour Division’s Administrator Interpretation letter is available at http://www.dol.gov/WHD/opinion/adminIntrprtnFLSA.htm.
March 19, 2010
The Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) under Executive Order 13495, Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts. Once Department of Labor and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council regulations under Executive Order 13495 take effect, employees on federal service contracts and subcontracts of $100,000 or more will generally be entitled to an offer of employment on the contract or subcontract if it is awarded to a successor and the work is to be performed in the same location. Read the NPRM.
The Department’s Employment and Training Administration and Wage and Hour Division published final rules implementing changes to the H-2A program. The final rule is effective March 15, 2010. Click here for the Final Rule.
The Wage and Hour Division provides information on common issues when employees get the flu and its affect on wages and hours worked under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For more information, see Pandemic Flu and the Fair Labor Standards Act: Questions and Answers (PDF) and/or Pandemic Flu and the Family and Medical Leave Act: Questions and Answers (PDF).
The U.S. Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking to amend the regulations governing the certification for temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in agricultural occupations on a temporary or seasonal basis, and the enforcement of contractual obligations applicable to employers of such nonimmigrant workers. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rulemaking on or before October 20, 2009 (comment period extended from October 5, 2009) at www.regulations.gov. Until such time as a new final rule is promulgated, the regulations which became effective on January 17, 2009 remain in effect.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division reminds employers and employees that the federal minimum wage increases to $7.25 on Friday, July 24, 2009. With this change, employees who are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act will be entitled to be paid no less than $7.25 per hour. This increase is the last of three provided by the enactment of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. A revised federal minimum wage poster is now available for viewing, downloading, and posting. Every employer of employees subject to the Fair Labor Standard Act’s minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the Act in a conspicuous place in all of their establishments so as to permit employees to readily read it.
The Wage and Hour Division posted information intended to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that have arisen when private and public employers require employees to take furloughs and to take other reductions in pay and /or hours worked as businesses and State and local governments adjust to economic challenges. Information on Furloughs and Other Reductions in Pay
The Wage Hour Division (WHD) has released guidance concerning implementation of Section 1606 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA"), which provides for application of Davis-Bacon labor standards to certain federal and federally-assisted construction work funded in whole or in part under provisions of ARRA. In addition, WHD has launched a new Web page with ARRA-related compliance information.
The Department is publishing a final rule suspending the H–2A Final Rule published on December 18, 2008 and in effect as of January 17, 2009. To ensure continued functioning of the H–2A program, the Department is republishing and reinstating the regulations in place on January 16, 2009 for a period of 9 months, after which the Department will either have engaged in further rulemaking or lift the suspension. The suspension is effective June 29, 2009.
The U.S. Department of Labor published a notice (PDF) seeking comments on a proposal to suspend for 9 months the H-2A regulations, which became effective on January 17, 2009, that amended the rules governing the certification for temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers in agricultural occupations on a temporary or seasonal basis, and the enforcement of contractual obligations applicable to employers of such nonimmigrant workers. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments on the proposed suspension on or before March 27, 2009. Click here for the Final Rule (PDF).
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a final rule (PDF) revising regulations under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts and the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act to discontinue the weekly reporting of certain employee personal information on certified payrolls. The final rule is effective on January 18, 2009.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration, in concurrence with the Wage and Hour Division, published a final rule (PDF) to modernize procedures for issuing H-2B labor certifications, including procedures the Department will institute pursuant to an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security delegating H-2B enforcement to DOL. The final rule is effective on January 18, 2009.
On December 18, 2008, the Department published a Final Rule implementing changes to the H-2A Program. The final rule is effective January 17, 2009. Click here for the Final Rule (PDF).
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Final Rule under the Family and Medical Leave Act. The final rule becomes effective on January 16, 2009, and updates the FMLA regulations to implement new military family leave entitlements enacted under the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008. It also includes revisions in response to public comments received on the proposed rule issued in February 2008. The Federal Register Notice and related documents are available at Wage and Hour's FMLA Final Rule website.
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks to revise regulations issued pursuant to the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Copeland Anti-Kickback Act to better protect the personal privacy of laborers and mechanics employed on covered construction contracts. Interested parties are invited to submit their public comments by November 19, 2008, according to the instructions in the NPRM.
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that primarily updates obsolete regulations to reflect statutory amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Portal-to-Portal Act enacted since the rules were originally issued. Additional revisions would align the regulations with current court interpretations of the law and provide clarifying guidance to the regulated community. Interested parties are invited to submit their public comments by September 26, 2008 (extended from September 11, 2008), according to the instructions in the NPRM. Fact Sheet.
Effective July 24, 2008, the federal minimum wage for covered non-exempt employees will rise from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour. This is the second of three increases provided for by the enactment of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. A third minimum wage increase to $7.25 per hour becomes effective on July 24, 2009. Many states have minimum wage laws with provisions that differ from the federal law. When an employer is subject to both the federal and state wage laws, the employer must comply with the provisions of each law.
May 22, 2008
On May 21, President Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). Among other things, GINA amends the Fair Labor Standards Act by increasing the civil money penalties that may be imposed for child labor violations resulting in death or serious injury. The legislation raised the maximum penalty to $50,000 for each violation resulting in the death of or serious injury to working youth. In cases where the employer's violation is repeated or willful, the maximum penalty was raised to $100,000.
February 11, 2008
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments by 12:00 midnight, April 11, 2008. The Federal Register Notice, instructions for submitting comments and related documents are available at Wage and Hour's FMLA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking website.
January 28, 2008
On January 28, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 (NDAA). Among other things, section 585 of the NDAA amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to permit a “spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin” to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a “member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness.” Additional information and a copy of Title I of the FMLA, as amended, are available on the website.
December 27, 2007
In a record-breaking year, WHD collected more than $220 million in back wages for over 341,000 employees in fiscal year 2007. Back wage collections exceeded the record levels collected in fiscal year 2003 by 3.8 percent. The agency concluded 30,467 compliance actions and assessed over $10.3 million in civil money penalties. 2007 Statistics
October 31, 2007
The Wage and Hour Division will host the Prevailing Wage Conference 2008 on January 8-10 in New Orleans , Louisiana . The conference will address issues associated with the administration and enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act, McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you are interested in attending, please email your name, title, organization, email address, and telephone number to pwc2008@dol.gov. There is no fee for attending this conference, but space is limited. Upon receipt of this information, we will advise you whether your request can be accommodated.
July 3, 2007
A revised federal minimum wage poster, reflecting the recently enacted minimum wage increases, is now available for viewing, downloading, and posting. Every employer of employees subject to the Fair Labor Standard Act’s minimum wage provisions must post, and keep posted, a notice explaining the Act in a conspicuous place in all of their establishments so as to permit employees to readily read it. Additional posters and compliance assistance materials will be available in the coming weeks.
June 27, 2007
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a Report on the comments received in response to the Request for Information on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The Federal Register Notices and related documents are also available on Wage and Hour’s website.
June 14, 2007
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the cancellation of Industry Committee No. 27, which was convened on May 10, 2007 and was scheduled to meet later this month. The Committee was discharged following enactment of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act of 2007, which amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and removes the Labor Department’s authority to convene American Samoa Industry Committees.
June 1, 2007
On May 25, President Bush signed a spending bill that, among other things, amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007 ; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008 ; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009 . A separate provision of the bill brings about phased increases to the minimum wage in the CNMI and American Samoa, with the goal of bringing the minimum wage in those locations up to the general federal minimum wage over several years. Additional materials will be available at this site in the coming weeks.
May 22, 2007
Effective June 1, 2007 a new health and welfare fringe benefit rate will be implemented on all Service Contract Act Wage Determinations. The Wage and Hour Division has issued an All Agency Memorandum (HTML, PDF) announcing this update.
May 8, 2007
The Overtime Calculator elaws Advisor is an Internet-based, interactive learning tool designed to assist workers and small businesses in understanding overtime principles by calculating overtime payment for a sample pay period using certain primary pay and additional pay methods. The Overtime Calculator is a practical learning tool that provides examples of how overtime should be computed under some-but not all-scenarios. It will calculate overtime for a sample pay period, based on information submitted by the users, and will not replace actual payroll computations. Press Release.
April 17, 2007
The Wage and Hour Division published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to update the youth employment regulations for the 21st Century. The current proposals strengthen youth employment regulations to protect against workplace hazards, expand youth workplace opportunities that have been judged safe and permissible, update regulations to better reflect the modern workplace, and address recommendations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to the hazardous occupations orders. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments for both the NPRM and ANPRM on or before July 16, 2007 . The Federal Register Notices, instructions and related documents are available at Wage and Hour’s Youth Employment Comments Website.
April 04, 2007
The Wage and Hour Division will sponsor a series of free H-1B information seminars across the country. These seminars will assist H-1B employers and others in understanding and complying with the H-1B program requirements, application procedures, and worker protections. Detailed information on these outreach events is available on Wage and Hour’s H-1B outreach event webpage.