Each month, the United States Department of Labor (US DOL or DOL) issue violations and settles cases covering the federal laws they are responsible for enforcing. These federal laws include:
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Davis-Bacon and Related Acts
- McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act
- Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA)
- Section 1188 — Admission of Temporary H-2A Workers
- H-2B Program
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
- Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA)
- Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
Below is a list of violations and settlements issued by the DOL from January 1 to 15, 2026.
Table Of Contents
- Announcements
- FLSA Violations and Settlements
- OSHA Violations and Settlements
- ERISA Violations and Settlements
- FMLA Violations and Settlements
- H-2A and H-2B Program Violations and Settlements
- Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Violations and Settlements
- McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act Violations and Settlements
- Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act Violations and Settlements
- Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act Violations and Settlements
Announcements
- US Department of Labor expands self-correction program to encourage compliance with Form M-1 annual reporting rules
- US Department of Labor issues 6 opinion letters addressing employee classification, bonuses, overtime exemptions, family medical leave
- FLSA2026-1: Whether an employee’s role meets the criteria for the learned professional exemption under section 13(a)(1) of the FLSA, and, if so, whether an employer is nevertheless permitted to reclassify the employee as non-exempt.
- FLSA2026-2: Whether section 7(e) of the FLSA permits an employer to exclude certain bonus payments from an employee’s regular rate of pay. The letter also addresses how to include these payments in the calculation of employee overtime premiums if the payments must be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay.
- FLSA2026-3: Whether a union and employer can enter into a collective bargaining agreement that mandates a 15-minute “roll call” prior to each scheduled shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the FLSA.
- FLSA2026-4: Whether, for purposes of the overtime exemption for certain commissioned employees in section 7(i) of the FLSA, an employer in a jurisdiction in which the state minimum wage exceeds the federal minimum wage must use the federal minimum wage, or alternatively, the higher state minimum wage, to determine whether it has satisfied the minimum pay standard in section 7(i)(1), and whether tips are deemed compensation for purposes of section 7(i)(2)’s requirement that more than half the employee’s compensation consist of commissions.
- FMLA2026-1: How a school closure of less than a full week impacts the amount of leave a school employee uses under the FMLA.
- FMLA2026-2: Whether FMLA leave may be used for time spent traveling to or from medical appointments, including where an employee provided the employer with medical certification from a health care provider that confirms the employee’s need for the appointment, but the certification does not address travel to or from the appointment.
- US Department of Labor recovers more than $259M in back wages for workers in 2025
FLSA Violations and Settlements
- Arizona: Federal court orders Arizona roofing contractor to pay wages, damages to 61 workers denied overtime wages
- California: Court orders California construction contractor to pay $770K in back wages, damages after federal investigation finds minimum wage, overtime violations
- Idaho: US Department of Labor investigation finds Boise restaurant owner denied 388 workers minimum wage, overtime payments
- Wisconsin: Federal court orders Wisconsin-based medical care partnership to pay back wages, damages to 68 employees denied overtime
OSHA Violations and Settlements
ERISA Violations and Settlements
- Ohio: Court orders engineering firm, owner to restore $45K in retirement assets to company’s 401(k) plan, distribute funds to former employees
- US Department of Labor statement on withdrawal of Supreme Court petition in Pizarro v. Home Depot
- US Department of Labor files amicus brief clarifying legal framework for pension risk transfers
FMLA Violations and Settlements
- No posted actions this period.
H-2A and H-2B Program Violations and Settlements
- No posted actions this period.
Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Violations and Settlements
- No posted actions this period.
McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act Violations and Settlements
- No posted actions this period.
Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act Violations and Settlements
- No posted actions this period.