Wage and Hour Enforcement Update

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently released its enforcement statistics for fiscal years 2009 through 2013. The released statistics confirm an increase in wage and hour activity with increases in both the amount of recovered back wages and hours spent on enforcement. These enforcement and trend statistics remind employers to use care and best practices to ensure compliance with state and federal wage and hour laws. This briefing discusses the current trends in WHD enforcement efforts and provides employers with some best practice suggestions for avoiding and/or minimizing the impact of DOL audits and wage and hour lawsuits.