EEOC and DOL Team Up on Enforcement

Effective September 13, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have partnered to work more closely together to enforce workplace laws.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including:

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act
• Equal Pay Act of 1963
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

The DOL’s Wage and Hour Division enforces:

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including:
  • Federal minimum wage
  • Overtime pay
  • Record-keeping
  • Tip retention
  • Child labor requirements
• PUMP Act
• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

The increased coordination between the agencies will include information sharing, joint investigations, training, and outreach resulting in more comprehensive investigations and robust enforcement. Employers may see joint policy statements and technical assistance documents, and training materials and programs co-developed by the two agencies.

For more information, check out the SHRM article EEOC Partners with DOL on Legal Enforcement.