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1 1 (September 25, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govemye0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated September 25, 2023 Major Functions of the U.S. Department of Labor Creation of the Department of Labor The Department of Labor (DOL) was created in 1913 by An Act to create a Department of Labor (P.L. 62-426). Its purpose was to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable employment. P.L. 62-426 initially authorized a new mediation service and four pre-existing bureaus. Numerous laws since 1913 have added (and removed) program and enforcement responsibilities to DOL, such that it is now comprised of multiple entities that provide services related to worker protection, income support, workforce development, and labor statistics. DOL administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws. The Scope of DOL's Activities DOL is responsible for program administration as well as enforcement and compliance activities. This involves not only administering financial resources but also regulatory coverage of the numerous statutes that DOL administers and enforces. While some of DOL's resources support grants, the majority of its scope is projected through enforcement and compliance activities. The extent of these activities is far-reaching. Broadly speaking, DOL administers programs, standards, and protections that have the following four foci: Worker Protection: DOL administers federal laws that establish standards related to wages (e.g., minimum wage levels, overtime pay), certain types of leave, and occupational safety affecting large shares of the private and public sector workforce. DOL also administers targeted protections applicable to workers in certain occupations (e.g., miners, agricultural workers). Income Support: DOL oversees the administration of programs providing income support to individuals during periods of unemployment and administers programs providing income support to individuals suffering work- related injuries. These programs cover much of the workforce. Additionally, DOL provides oversight of-and in some cases pays benefits for participants in-insured private defined-benefit pension plans. Workforce Development and Training: DOL provides grants to states to provide broadly available training and related services to prepare individuals for work and assist them in securing employment. DOL also administers workforce development program services for targeted populations (e.g., low-income young adults and veterans). Labor Statistics and Research: DOL conducts research, analysis, and data gathering on the nation's labor market, working conditions, and prices in the economy. Functions of DOL The DOL entities that carry out the agency's wide-ranging activities fall primarily into four main functional areas: worker protection, income support, workforce development and training, and labor statistics and research. Worker Protection DOL administers programs to provide worker protection services that help ensure worker safety, adherence to wage and overtime laws, and contract compliance. The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforces various federal labor standards, including those authorized by the following acts: * The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA; P.L. 75- 718) is the primary federal law that sets minimum wage rates and overtime pay requirements for about 139 million workers (about 84% of wage and salary earners). * The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA; P.L. 103-3) guarantees qualifying employees unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons. Generally, private employers with at least 50 workers and public agencies are covered by the FMLA. * The Davis-Bacon Act (P.L. 74-403), the McNamara- O'Hara Service Contract Act (P.L. 89-286), and the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act (P.L. 74-846) provide contract standards, notably prevailing wage requirements, for workers on certain federal contracts for construction, services, and manufacturing. The WHD also enforces wage standards established through presidential executive orders. * The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA; P.L. 97-470) provides wage, housing, and transportation standards for migrant and seasonal agricultural workers. * The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, ch. 477, as amended, codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq. (INA) contains labor standards provisions that are administered and enforced by WHD for certain classes of nonimmigrant workers (e.g., H visa classes). The Office of Labor-Management Standards provides other forms of worker protection by administering the Labor- Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA; P.L. 86-257) and related laws requiring disclosure and financial reporting for labor unions and employers. Federal statutes that govern private-sector labor relations are enforced by non-DOL agencies (e.g., the National Labor Relations Board). The Occupational Safety and Health Administration primarily administers and enforces the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act; P.L. 91-596), which provides health and safety standards for workplaces and authorizes DOL to sanction employers to enforce compliance. The Mine Safety and Health Administration administers the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (MSH Act; P.L. 91-173) and the Mine Improvement and New

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