The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is increasing civil penalties assessed for violations of several labor statutes. The increases, effective January 23, 2019, are consistent with the DOL’s obligations under the Inflation Adjustment Act. The Act requires an annual adjustment to the civil money penalty levels for inflation by January 15 each year.

The DOL published the final rule setting forth the schedule of increases, which can be accessed at the U.S. Government Information website. Affected rules include, but are not limited to, violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and Occupational Safety and Health Act.

While the individual increases are not that significant, it is a good reminder to consider whether any of your policies should be reviewed and updated. If it has been a while since your company reviewed its policies or if you have not fully developed an employee handbook, consider reaching out to Goldberg Segalla’s Employment and Labor Practice Group for a policy checkup or development.

For more information, contact: 

• Ben S. Greenberg
• Caroline J. Berdzik
• Kristin Klein Wheaton
• Peter J. Woo
• Or another member of our Employment and Labor Practice Group