The Department of Labor (DOL) today announced that the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recovered a record $322 million in wages owed to workers in Fiscal Year 2019. WHD also set a new record for compliance assistance events in FY 2019, holding more than 3,700 educational outreach events – including on-the-ground presentations and training sessions – to help job creators understand their responsibilities under the law.

dol-schedules-overtime-rule-public-sessions“Through rigorous enforcement and robust compliance assistance, the U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that workers receive the wages they have earned,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “These record-breaking numbers top the department’s totals from last year, which also set records, and confirm our ongoing commitment to strong enforcement and to providing employers with the tools they need to comply with the law.”

“We are delivering a level playing field for employers and employees alike,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Cheryl Stanton. “We are delivering more back wages for workers than ever before, and we are steadfastly eliminating any unfair economic advantage employers may try to gain by skirting the rules. We are protecting those who do the right thing, pay their employees what they have legally earned, and operate in compliance.”

WHD says it is constantly improving and expanding a data-driven approach coupled with stakeholder engagement allows the Agency to identify accurately the industries and sectors in which to focus resources most efficiently. A new Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics launched this month will ensure WHD uses the most cutting-edge tools and data sources available to guide decision making and secure the largest possible impact, according to an official announcement.