[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 212 (Friday, November 1, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 87422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-25504]
[[Page 87422]]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Employment Information Form
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Wage and Hour
Division (WHD)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public
comments on the ICR are invited.
DATES: The OMB will consider all written comments that the agency
receives on or before December 2, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nora Hernandez by telephone at 202-
693-8633, or by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Labor's (Department) Wage
and Hour Division (WHD) is authorized to administer and enforce a
variety of laws that establish the minimum standards for wages and
working conditions in the United States. Collectively, these labor
standards cover most private, State, and local government employment.
These labor laws range from some of the earliest labor protections
passed by Congress to some of the most recent. Although they differ in
scope, all of the statutes enforced by WHD are intended to protect and
to promote the welfare of the nation's workforce; to provide
opportunities for advancement; to ensure fair compensation for work
performed; and to level the playing field for responsible employers.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) minimum wage provisions and the
government contract prevailing wage laws provide a floor for the
payment of fair wages, while the FLSA overtime provisions are intended
to broaden work opportunities and promote employment. The Migrant and
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) and the immigration
programs establish working conditions intended to protect the wages and
the safety and health of vulnerable workers; to ensure that the local
labor force is not displaced by lower paid foreign or migrant labor;
and ensure employers that obey the law are not disadvantaged. The
McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) requires contractors and
subcontractors performing services on prime contracts in excess of
$2,500 to pay service employees in various classes no less than the
wage rates and fringe benefits found prevailing in the locality, or the
rates (including prospective increases) contained in a predecessor
contractor's collective bargaining agreement. The Davis-Bacon and
Related Acts (DBRA) require payment of prevailing wages on federal
funded or assisted construction projects. The Family and Medical Leave
Act (FMLA) was enacted to help workers balance family and work
responsibilities and help keep middle class families in the middle
class by providing job protection, and the child labor provisions of
the FLSA ensure the safe employment of young workers; encourage their
educational endeavors; and provide a path to future employment. The
Department also administers portions of the Consumer Credit Protection
Act, various Executive orders (E.O.) such as E.O. 13658, E.O. 14026,
and E.O. 14055.
In fiscal year 2023, WHD concluded 955 investigations that found
child labor violations, a 14% increase from the previous year. WHD
found nearly 5,800 children employed in violation of the law, an 88%
increase since 2019, and assessed more than $8 million in penalties, an
83% increase from the previous year. At WHD, safeguarding children at
work has always been our top priority. WHD investigations found a
significant increase in children being employed illegally and in 2023
launched a National Strategic Enforcement Initiative on Child Labor to
put additional emphasis on addressing this critical issue. As part of
this initiative, the Department has designed a WHD contact form to
better respond to potential child labor issues and potential
complaints. This revision proposes to implement the contact form to
better streamline Department responsiveness to child labor issues. For
additional substantive information about this ICR, see the related
notice published in the Federal Register on June 27, 2024 (89 FR
53656).
Comments are invited on: (1) whether the collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (2) if the information will be processed and used in a timely
manner; (3) the accuracy of the agency's estimates of the burden and
cost of the collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (4) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information collection; and (5) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. To help ensure appropriate
consideration, comments should reference OMB Control Number 1235-0021.
This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency
generally cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and
the public is generally not required to respond to an information
collection, unless the OMB approves it and displays a currently valid
OMB Control Number. In addition, notwithstanding any other provisions
of law, no person shall generally be subject to penalty for failing to
comply with a collection of information that does not display a valid
OMB Control Number. See 5 CFR 1320.5(a) and 1320.6.
DOL seeks PRA authorization for this information collection for
three (3) years. OMB authorization for an ICR cannot be for more than
three (3) years without renewal. The DOL notes that information
collection requirements submitted to the OMB for existing ICRs receive
a month-to-month extension while they undergo review. The Department of
Labor seeks an approval for the revision of this information collection
to ensure effective administration of the laws administered by the WHD.
Agency: DOL-WHD.
Title of Collection: Employment Information Form.
OMB Control Number: 1235-0021.
Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profits, Farms.
Total Estimated Number of Respondents: 133,803.
Total Estimated Number of Responses: 133,803.
Total Estimated Annual Time Burden: 26,802 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: $0.
(Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3507(a)(1)(D))
Nora Hernandez,
PRA Department Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-25504 Filed 10-31-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-27-P