Front Cover
U.S. Department of Labor
Secretary Elaine L. Chao
www.dol.gov
Inside Flap
U.S. Department of Labor’s
Compliance Assistance Tools
elaws® Advisors
www.dol.gov/elaws
The elaws Advisors (Employment Laws Assistance for
Workers and Small Businesses) are Web-based, interactive tools that help
individuals understand federal employment laws. Each elaws Advisor mimics
the interaction an individual would have with a DOL employment law expert
by asking the appropriate questions and then providing answers based on
the individual’s responses. The newest elaws Advisor, the FirstStep
Employment Law Advisor, helps employers simply and quickly determine which
of the major employment laws administered by DOL apply to their business
or organization and provides easy-to-access information
about how to comply with each law’s requirements.
Toll-Free Information Service
1-866-4-USA-DOL (TTY: 1-877-889-5627)
The Toll-Free Information Service is a central access point
to information on a range of employment rules and issues. By calling
1-866-4-USA-DOL, individuals can find answers to questions about
job loss, business closures, pay and leave, workplace safety and health,
pension and health benefits, and reemployment rights for Veterans,
National Guard members and Reservists.
Department of Labor Web Site
www.dol.gov
DOL’s principal Web site provides America’s employers and workers with access to a wide range of tools and employment
and regulatory information around the clock. The Web site—www.dol.gov—provides multiple ways to get information on
employment laws and DOL programs, prioritizes access to resources based on customer needs and enables users to find the
information they need easily and quickly. The site also offers the opportunity to ask questions about employment and
regulatory issues via e-mail.
Easy access to DOL agencies' compliance assistance information and resources is available through DOL's Office of Compliance
Assistance Policy Web site, www.dol.gov/compliance. By visiting this site, individuals can also subscribe to receive periodic
e-mail updates from DOL when new compliance assistance tools or resources become available.
DOL Seal
Interior Left Panel
U.S. Department of Labor’s
Compliance Assistance Initiative Resources
Helping America’s Employers and Workers
Understand
U.S. Department of Labor Laws and Regulations
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has launched a new effort to help America’s employers
and workers understand how to comply with the federal employment laws it administers.
Under the leadership of Secretary Elaine L. Chao, DOL has committed to significantly
enhance its compliance assistance efforts. The goal of compliance assistance is to protect
the wages, health benefits, retirement security, safety and health of America’s workforce
by preventing employment law violations.
DOL has developed the following tools to ensure that America’s employers and workers have
access to clear and accurate information and assistance—when and where they need it, and
in the format that suits them best.
A Message from Elaine L. Chao, Secretary of Labor
"There is a new culture of responsibility being built at
the Department of Labor -- a responsibility for us to help you understand
DOL’s rules and regulations. Our responsibility to clearly communicate with employers is a top priority
for all of us at the Department of Labor. We want to work together to make
worker protections work."
Interior Center and Right Panels
Wage and Hour Issues
The Employment Standards Administration’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) administers some of the nation’s most comprehensive
labor laws, including the minimum wage, overtime and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family
and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Workers Protection Act (MSPA), employment standards and
worker protections provided in several non-immigrant worker programs of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and the prevailing
wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA), the Service Contract Act (SCA) and related statutes.
WHD delivers compliance assistance in a variety of formats, including the WHD Web site, interactive online elaws Advisors on major
laws such as the FLSA and FMLA, a toll-free number for assistance, e-mail and a wide range of printed materials. WHD also assists
employers and employees in understanding their rights and responsibilities through nationwide workshops and presentations on
different wage and hour issues.
WHD on the Web: www.wagehour.dol.gov
WHD Contact Information: www.dol.gov/esa/whd/america2.htm
Telephone Number: 1-866-4-US-WAGE (1-866-487-9243)
Occupational Safety and Health
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) works to save lives,
prevent injuries and protect the health and safety of America's workers. Nearly
every worker in the nation comes under OSHA's jurisdiction as defined by the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (exceptions include miners,
transportation workers, many public employees and the self-employed).
A number of informational tools, such as the OSHA Web site, printed compliance
guides, toll-free telephone service, e-mail and online interactive advisors, offer
guidance on how to prevent on-the-job injuries and illnesses. Free workplace
consultations are available in every state to small businesses that need assistance
in establishing safety and health programs and identifying and correcting workplace
hazards, and a network of OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialists in local offices
provides tailored information and training to employers and employees. Voluntary
Protection Programs (VPP) and other strategic partnerships help to recognize and
build upon successful practices in occupational safety and health management.
OSHA on the Web: www.osha.gov
OSHA Contact Information: www.osha.gov/html/oshdir.html
Telephone Number: 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742)
Retirement and Health Benefits
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) assists employers and employee
benefit plan practitioners in understanding and complying with the requirements of
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) as it applies to the administration
of employee pension and health benefit plans.
EBSA promotes voluntary compliance through programs such as the Voluntary Fiduciary
Correction Program and the Delinquent Filer Compliance Program, as well as through
educational outreach programs and seminars, and through strategic alliances with
professional organizations and federal, state and local governments. Information
also is provided through a range of informational tools such as the EBSA Web site,
interactive online elaws Advisors, e-mail, printed publications and videos.
EBSA on the Web: www.dol.gov/ebsa
EBSA Contact Information: www.askebsa.dol.gov
Telephone Number: 1-866-444-EBSA (1-866-444-3272)
Federal Contract Compliance
The Employment Standards Administration’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs (OFCCP) administers three equal employment opportunity (EEO) programs
that apply to federal contractors and subcontractors: Executive Order 11246, as
amended; Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the affirmative
action provisions of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of
1974. OFCCP also shares authority for the regulations requiring equal employment
opportunity and affirmative action in apprenticeship programs, Title I of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act and the
Family and Medical Leave Act.
OFCCP helps employers understand the requirements and their responsibilities
under these laws through its Web site, interactive online elaws Advisors, e-mail,
workshops and seminars.
OFCCP on the Web: www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp
OFCCP Contact Information: www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/contacts/ofcpkeyp.htm
Telephone Number: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
Mine Safety and Health
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) works to protect the health and
safety of workers in America’s mines by working cooperatively with industry, labor
and other federal and state agencies. MSHA's responsibilities are outlined in the
Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, commonly called the Mine Act, which
applies to all mining and mineral processing operations in the U.S., regardless
of size, number of employees or method of extraction.
Assistance is provided to mine operators and workers through a range of
informational tools, including the MSHA Web site, e-mail and interactive
online elaws Advisors that provide guidance on mine safety and health issues,
training program development and filing requirements. MSHA also approves
equipment for use in mines, maintains the National Mine Health and Safety
Academy to train MSHA and mining industry personnel and provides assistance
and support to mine operators on improving their education and training programs
and solving safety and health problems. Through MSHA, assistance also is provided
to states in the development of mine safety and health and education and training
programs.
MSHA on the Web: www.msha.gov
MSHA Contact Information: www.msha.gov/contactmsha/contactmsha.htm
Telephone Number: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
Veterans’ Employment and Training
The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) helps Veterans, Reservists and
National Guard members effectively prepare for and secure employment, and also works
to protect their employment- and training-related rights. VETS offers employment and
training assistance, particularly the provision of services to eligible veterans,
including homeless veterans, through grants to states, local governments and non-profit
organizations.
VETS also administers the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights
Act (USERRA) and provides information about veterans’ rights under the Jobs for
Veterans Act, the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) and the Federal
Contractor Program, which requires federal contractors to take affirmative action
to hire and promote qualified veterans. VETS provides assistance through a variety
of tools and resources, including the VETS Web site, printed materials such as fact
sheets, brochures and guidebooks, e-mail and interactive online elaws USERRA, e-VETS
Resource, and Veterans’ Preference Advisors.
VETS on the Web: www.dol.gov/vets
VETS Contact Information: www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/contacts/main.htm
Telephone Number: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
Labor-Management Standards
The Employment Standards Administration’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS)
administers and enforces most provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959. OLMS also administers provisions of the Civil Service
Reform Act of 1978 and the Foreign Service Act of 1980 relating to standards of
conduct for federal employee unions. In addition, OLMS administers employee
protections provisions in federal mass transit law.
OLMS provides compliance assistance through the OLMS Web site, publications, e-mail,
workshops and other group presentations. Also, a new OLMS Web site
--www.union-reports.dol.gov-- permits users to view and print union annual financial
reports and features a powerful data search system that can produce listings tailored
to users’ specific needs.
OLMS on the Web: www.dol.gov/esa/olms/olms_org.htm
OLMS Contact Information: www.dol.gov/esa/olms/org/contact.htm
Telephone Number: 1-866-4-USA-DOL (1-866-487-2365)
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