U.S. Labor Department (DOL) leaders are planning to ramp up enforcement of wage standards on federally funded construction and service projects […]. The changes the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division is formulating—which could rank among its biggest initial policy moves under the new administration—would support the infrastructure and jobs package President Joe Biden is planning to roll out.
[…] DOL has begun preparations to expand its investigative capacity under two statutes that require government contractors to pay workers prevailing wages and benefits […]: the Davis-Bacon Act, which covers public construction projects, and the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act, which applies to government spending on services, such as janitorial work and food preparation.
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Nichole Atallah, a PilieroMazza law partner representing federal contractors on labor and employment issues, said she’s noticed the department’s grasp of the two laws has diminished as more senior investigators have exited the agency.
“It is not uncommon for me to have to teach the investigator something and then get through to the regional director to try to get it fixed,” Atallah said. “Often, I have to go to the national office and try to work around, particularly if I have [an investigator] who doesn’t understand the nuance of the act.”
Excerpt taken from the article “Biden DOL Targeting Government Contractors for Wage Enforcement” by Ben Penn for Bloomberg Law. To view the full article, please visit this link.
