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As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, I am constantly working to ensure that everyone has safe workplaces and that their employment rights are protected.
Now, we are seeing a younger more fluid and dynamic workforce that demands the workforce regulations adapt to them by providing flexibility and choice. However, much of the regulatory and legal framework created by the Department of Labor and related agencies is for a static 20th Century style workplace where employees stayed employed for entire careers. We need to make sure that our workforce policies and laws work for a 21st Century Workplace.
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections holds jurisdiction over a wide scope of laws and agencies that affect employment in this country: workplace safety, wage and compensation for hours worked, workers compensation for injuries and leaves of absence. A full list of the laws which the subcommittee has jurisdiction over can be found here.
The Subcommittee provides oversight over several parts of the U.S. Department of Labor, the largest are listed below:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s mission is to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for employees across the United States. OSHA has the power to set enforcement standards and provide outreach, training, education, and other assistance to employers and employees to ensure laws are being complied with.
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 created MSHA with the mission of preventing disease, injury and death among miners and promoting policies to ensure safe and healthy workplaces exist for our nation’s miners.
Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (WHD)
In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) became law and created the WHD inside the Department of Labor. The WHD enforces Federal minimum wage laws and overtime pay. It also oversees a wide array of employment compensation laws such as the Family Medical Leave Act as well as Davis Bacon prevailing wage.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 established the mandate for the EEOC as a five-member commission with the responsibility of enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against an employee or job applicant based on a person’s race, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
To view information on all of the issues before the committee, please click here.
HEARINGS
05/25/2016 – “Promoting Safe Workplaces Through Effective and Responsible Recordkeeping Standards”
04/19/2016 - Reviewing Recent Changes to OSHA’s Silica Standards
03/29/2016 - The 21st Century Workforce: How Current Rules and Regulations Affect Innovation and Flexibility in Michigan’s Workplaces
12/09/2015 - How the Administration's Regulatory Onslaught is Affecting Workers and Job Creators
10/21/2015 - Protecting America’s Workers: Reviewing Mine Safety Policies with Stakeholders
10/07/2015 - Protecting America’s Workers: An Enforcement Update from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
06/10/2015 – Reviewing the Rules and Regulation Implementation Federal Wage and Hour Standards
05/20/2015 – Reforming the Worker’s Compensation Program for Federal Employees
04/23/2015 – Protecting America’s Workers: An Enforcement Update from the Mine Safety and Health
03/24/2015 – Legislative Hearing on EEOC Reform legislation
02/26/2015 – The Blacklisting Executive Order: Rewriting Federal Labor Policies Through Executive Fiat
LETTERS
03/30/2016 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline urge extended comment period for EEO-1 proposed rule.
03/16/2016 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline urge extended comment period for DOL proposed rule to establish paid sick leave for federal contractors.
02/12/2016 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline urge extended comment period for DOL overtime proposal.
12/17/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline send inquiry about the DOL Wage and Hour Division implementation of prevailing wage standards.
12/11/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline question OSHA’s new Process Safety Management guidance documents.
10/15/2015 – Rep. Walberg questions DOL’s Wage and Hour Division process to detect human trafficking during inspections.
10/13/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline question OSHA about multiemployer citation policy.
10/08/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline question OSHA preventing access to online training
07/21/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline send formal comments about the proposed fiduciary rule changes.
06/22/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline send formal comments about the proposed wellness rule.
05/29/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline ask for comment period extension for proposed fiduciary rule.
02/11/2015 – Rep. Walberg urges OSHA to withdraw proposed changes to SHARP program.
02/06/2015 – Rep. Walberg questions MSHA about a secret hearing conducted by MSHRC
1/12/2015 – Rep. Walberg questions the EEOC about regulations regarding religious garb in the workplace
01/05/2015 – Rep. Walberg and Chairman Kline request information about OFCCP compensation reporting rules.
VIDEOS AND RELATED ITEMS
03/24/2015 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 548 Certainty in Enforcement Act of 2015
03/24/2015 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 549 Litigation Oversight Act
03/24/2015 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 550 EEOC Transparency and Accountability Act
06/17/2015 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 2800 Pregnancy Discrimination Amendment Act
10/29/2015 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 3860 Ensuring Access to Affordable and Quality Home Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act
02/01/2016 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 4406 Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act
03/17/2016 – Sponsored Legislation: H.R. 4773 Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act
04/19/2016 – Video: Walberg Chairs Hearing on New Silica Standards
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