DOL’s Su Plans Focused Enforcement Approach Amid Budget Woes

Facing budget caps and Congressional roadblocks, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su plans to do more with less and use the agency’s enforcement funding and staff in a more calculated and targeted approach.

Factors like an employer’s history with compliance, geography, and industry will be part of the consideration, she said. The US Labor Department under the Biden administration has focused its work towards the most vulnerable workers in areas of the country where labor rights are the weakest, like the South.

“I don’t think we have to inspect every employer,” Su said in an exclusive interview. “If employers are doing ...