Inadequate Labor Department Resources Stymie Enforcement Efforts

US Department of Labor lawyers lack the resources to bring every case where agency investigators find violations of federal labor laws, leading to at least one instance of businesses not receiving citations—a symptom of the funding constraints that have long plagued the agency’s enforcement arms.

Earlier this year, a Wage and Hour Division investigator uncovered violations committed by an employer participating in the H-2B seasonal worker visa program, but was told “not to cite a violation at this time,” according to a copy of the case report reviewed by Bloomberg Law.

After conferencing with DOL attorneys over the case, a ...