Compliance Assistance - Drop-In Article

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U.S. Department of Labor Releases New Tool for Complying with Labor Laws

By using this tool, employers can easily determine which recordkeeping, reporting and notice requirements apply to them under the major laws administered by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The newly released FirstStep Recordkeeping, Reporting and Notices Advisor has been integrated with the expanded FirstStep Employment Law Overview Advisor and the revised FirstStep Poster Advisor. This suite of Advisors, available at www.dol.gov/elaws/firststep, gives users quick and easy access to essential employment law information, customized to their organization.

Small employers and workers can be overwhelmed by the challenge of understanding federal laws and regulations. So DOL’s Office of Compliance Assistance Policy has created over 25 easy-to-use, online tools — called elaws Advisors — that help users understand and comply with complicated federal employment laws.

The expanded FirstStep Employment Law Overview Advisor is the first place a small employer should come to learn about federal employment laws. This Advisor asks the user a short series of questions to determine which of the major DOL-administered laws apply to their organization. It takes into account relevant variables — such as size of business and type of industry — that determine coverage for these laws. After spending just five minutes going through this Advisor, employers are able to identify the laws applicable to them. The Advisor then provides summaries of the basic provisions of each of the relevant laws from DOL’s Employment Law Guide, as well as information from the Recordkeeping, Reporting and Notices Advisor.

The new FirstStep Recordkeeping, Reporting and Notices Advisor provides users with information on the poster and paperwork requirements that their organization must fulfill to be in compliance with relevant DOL regulations. If users already know which laws apply to them, they may skip the interactive Advisor and go straight to summaries of recordkeeping, reporting and notice requirements of each law.

The revised FirstStep Poster Advisor now includes information on where the posters must be displayed in the workplace, as well as what size and language requirements apply to each. And of course, each DOL poster can be downloaded and printed for free from the Advisor.

The Department offers many other elaws Advisors covering a wide range of employment law issues such as minimum wage and overtime, child labor, veterans' workplace rights, health and retirement benefits, and workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.dol.gov/elaws.