WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) continued to break records in delivering outreach and education to workers and employers in fiscal year 2020.
For the third year in a row, the agency set a new record for its number of compliance assistance events, conducting more than 4,600 educational outreach presentations to help job creators understand their responsibilities under the law, and ensure workers understand their rights.
The majority of that outreach concerned the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). When the workforce needed information to implement the new paid leave benefits and protections available under FFCRA, WHD delivered. The agency’s unprecedented on-the-ground efforts included providing information at coronavirus testing sites, food banks and healthcare facilities.
The agency launched a national public awareness campaign with public service announcements (PSAs) on both television and radio, generating nearly 300 million gross impressions among viewers and listeners across the country. PSAs continue to provide information about the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave benefits available under the FFCRA.
During this time, WHD has remained committed to customer service and compliance assistance, receiving 45 million visits to its website after the passage of FFCRA and answering over 406,000 calls. WHD’s website saw more than six million visitors during one week of WHD’s coronavirus response, up from an average of 500,000 weekly views.
“These record-breaking numbers confirm our ongoing commitment to robust compliance assistance that provides employers the tools they need to comply with the law,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “I’m grateful for the hard work of each member of the Wage-Hour Division team.”
Outreach events coupled with record-breaking customer service efforts in FY 2020 reflect WHD’s commitment to ensuring protections for workers and assisting employers as they navigated the uncharted waters of the coronavirus effects on the workplace.
“Providing the information to help workers and employers secure and implement critically needed paid leave, and protecting jobs and income while workers quarantined are contributions of immeasurable value,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Cheryl Stanton. “Despite the unique circumstances of 2020, WHD steadfastly pursued its responsibility to faithfully inform the public and made exceptional contributions to workers’ well-being. However measured, vibrant educational efforts remain at the core of what WHD delivers.”
Visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd for additional information about WHD’s work. Employers and employees are encouraged to contact WHD at 1-866-4US-WAGE with any compliance questions or for further information.
The mission of WHD is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration-related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and the provision of goods and services.
The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.
