President Biden announced last week that he wants Julie Su to join his Cabinet as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, elevating her from the number two role of Deputy – but what do employers need to know about the March 1 nomination? Obviously, the news is significant for the employment community given that the head of the Labor Department wields tremendous influence over the nation’s workplace policy. So what’s the upshot for curious employers? If Su is confirmed as expected, you can assume we’ll see a seamless transition from current Secretary Marty Walsh and a continued emphasis at the department on worker-centered policy moves.
The Basics: What Does The USDOL Do?
The Secretary of Labor is a Cabinet-level position heading the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), one of the federal agencies that has the widest and deepest impact on employers across the country. The agency impacts the inner workings of the American workplace on a daily basis. It enforces laws involving employers and unions, and more importantly, develops binding regulations and directives for a variety of workplace laws. It encompasses over 30 agencies, boards, offices, and programs that each have a specialized role when it comes to labor and employment law.
The three most commonly known agencies and offices within the DOL are the Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). However, the DOL also...
Patricia White, 70, of Old Greenwich, received a nine-month prison sentence for submitting false claims for unclaimed properties to around 30 state treasuries. HARRISBURG, Pa. — Months after her br...