It’s tough to stay up on all of the labor laws and regulations that you’re responsible for as an employer. Pair this with government resources being notoriously difficult to use and interpret, and it’s understandable why compliance is such a headache for businesses.
Thankfully, several government agencies are working hard to change this — the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) being no exception. Recently, the DOL announced that its Wage and Hour Division (WHD) rolled out a number of “modernized” compliance-assistance materials that are easy to understand and use.
Here’s our roundup of the DOL’s most user-friendly compliance resources!
Top user-friendly DOL compliance resources
- Digital Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act: The WHD took their most popular publication and made it even better! This new and improved version is a simple, easy-to-follow digital resource covering topics like basic wage standards, exemptions, overtime, record-keeping requirements, and more. It’s easy to navigate and is packed with links to other handy, topic-specific resources.
- Compliance toolkits: What we like here is that the DOL organized related resources into easy-to-navigate “toolkits,” so you can find information on a particular topic in one place. If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole looking for resources on a government website, you can understand why we love this! Get information on everything from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to industry-specific compliance, youth employment, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Presentations: Looking for easy-to-digest information that’s a breeze to repurpose for internal compliance trainings? This is your one-stop shop for downloadable presentations on labor topics like FLSA, break times for nursing mothers, child labor, FMLA, worker disabilities and more. Admittedly some presentations have a little better look and feel than others, but the info is all there (and in one place).
- Employer.gov: This new DOL-powered site is built specifically to educate employers about their employee responsibilities. Using a friendly question-and-answer format, the site does a good job of tackling the biggest questions out there. Also, have a look at its employee-focused counterpart, worker.gov. This will provide you with more information on employee rights. It’s also worth sharing with your employees, so they know their rights. Plus, educating your employees about their rights is a great way to show them that you care about their well-being.
- DOL's webpage for new and small businesses: This webpage provides general information about laws enforced by WHD and DOL, along with links to other handy federal and state resources. While intended for new and small business owners, this is a beneficial stop for any business that wants to stay informed!
- DOL newsletter: Subscribe to the DOL’s weekly newsletter for the latest resources, news, information, statistics and more in the world of labor compliance. Delivered right to your inbox, this is the ultimate way to stay up-to-date on the labor laws and regulations that are important for your business. Click here to subscribe.
Need more help with labor compliance?
Spending time managing compliance for your business can take up a lot of time and prevent you from focusing on other, more business-driving initiatives. Orbit Human Resources, our HCM solution’s HR module, can help. With automated workflows, configurable forms and reports, and access to accurate, consistent employee data, you can do more with your time, while minimizing compliance risk. To learn more about what Orbit Human Resources can do for you, check out our quick and handy overview resource.
