DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Budget $137.97B
Employees 14,062
Year Established 1913
The United States Department of Labor works to guarantee livable wages, safe working conditions, and fair employment practices such as equal opportunity employment for all Americans. The DOL works to provide unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who lost their job through no fault of their own and provide reemployment services to those who need it. DOL also keeps economic and labor statistics.
ARB issues agency decisions in cases arising worker protection laws, including whistleblower and public contract laws.
The Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs (OCIA) serves to advance the Secretary’s mission by educating policymakers in Washington, throughout state and local governments, and in Tribal Nations about Department of Labor priorities. OCIA assists the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, agency heads, and departmental staff to develop effective programs and strategies to achieve the Department's legislative goals and objectives. OCIA also coordinates with Departmental leadership to educate policymakers about the Department's programs and federal labor issues.
At the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), we protect workers, promote diversity and enforce the law. OFCCP holds those who do business with the federal government (contractors and subcontractors) responsible for complying with the legal requirement to take affirmative action and not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. In addition, contractors and subcontractors are prohibited from discharging or otherwise discriminating against applicants or employees who inquire about, discuss or disclose their compensation or that of others, subject to certain limitations
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) conducts audits to review the effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and integrity of all DOL programs and operations, including those performed by its contractors and grantees. This work is conducted in order to determine whether: the programs and operations are in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations; DOL resources are efficiently and economically being utilized; and DOL programs achieve their intended results. The OIG also conducts criminal, civil, and administrative investigations into alleged violations of federal laws relating to DOL programs, operations, and personnel. In addition, the OIG conducts criminal investigations to combat the influence of labor racketeering and organized crime in the nation’s labor unions in three areas: employee benefit plans, labor-management relations, and internal union affairs.
The mission of the Civil Rights Center (CRC) is to promote justice and equal opportunity by acting with impartiality and integrity in administering and enforcing various civil rights laws. These laws protect: ndividuals who apply to, participate in, work for, or come into contact with programs and activities that are conducted by or receive financial assistance from DOL, or, under certain circumstances, from other Federal agencies. We carry out this mission by investigating and adjudicating discrimination complaints, conducting compliance reviews, providing technical assistance and training, and developing and publishing civil rights regulations, policies, and guidance. If you think that you are a member of one of the groups that we protect or entities we serve, we encourage you to read on to learn whether and how we can assist you.
Civil Rights Division
The Office of External Enforcement (OEE) supports CRC's responsibility to assess, investigate and/or adjudicate complaints alleging discrimination, and/or administers and enforces the laws that apply to: (1) recipients of financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); (2) American Job Center partners listed in WIOA Section 121(b) that offer programs or activities through the workforce development system; (3) state and local governments and other public entities operating programs and activities related to labor and the workforce (for disability matters only); and (4) any recipients of financial assistance from, or programs conducted by, DOL that are not included in the categories above.
The OWCP administers four major disability compensation programs that provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease.