Department of Labor Announces New Funding Priorities

On March 4, 2014, the United States Department of Labor announced certain funding priorities in the President’s budget proposal including an increase of $41 million to fund enforcement of wage and hour laws and FMLA compliance. Additional Department of Labor budget priorities are:

• Nearly $14 million to fund the misclassification of workers as independent contractors initiative.
• $565 million for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to seek employer compliance with safety and health regulations and inspect hazardous workplaces, and strengthen protection of whistleblowers.
• The budget also includes $377 million for the Mine Safety and Health Administration and $107 million for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces equal employment opportunity at federal contractors.

Keith Overholt is a Member of Jennings, Strouss & Salmon's, Corporate Securities and Finance and Labor and Employment departments.