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1 1 (December 1, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejpk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Major Functions of the U.S. Department of Labor Cretio of th Depart ent 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 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 DO L's Activities DOL is responsible for program administration as well as enforcement and compliance activities. This involves not only administering financial resources but also the regulatory coverage of the numerous statutes that DOL administers and enforces. Unlike many federal agencies, DOL is not primarily a grant-making organization. While some of DOL's resources support grants, the majority of its scope is projected trough 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). In come 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 programs services for targeted populations (e.g., veterans and trade-affected workers). Labor Statistics and Research: DOL conducts research, analysis, and data gathering on the nation's labor market, working conditions, and prices in the economy. Updated December 1, 2022 Functions o O 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 Prtetin DOL administers a range of programs to provide worker protection services that ensure worker safety, adherence to wage and overtime laws, and contract compliance. The Wage and Hour Division 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 130 million workers (about 85% 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 trough 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. * Labor standards provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA; P.L. 99-603). The WHD administers and enforces these provisions 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;

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