DOL Plans to Roll Out New Child Labor Complaint Form

Author: Michael Cardman, Brightmine Senior Legal Editor

November 5, 2024

The US Department of Labor (DOL) is planning a new complaint for child labor violations.

Currently, the DOL uses Form WH-3 to take down information from current and former employees who allege their employer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and other laws under its jurisdiction. This information is used to determine whether the DOL has jurisdiction to investigate the alleged violation and, if so, begin building a case file.

In a recent notice, the DOL said it has designed a new contact form to better respond to potential child labor issues and complaints. The agency said it has prepared a general inquiry form and a form specific to child labor. Respondents will submit only one response; if they click child labor on the general inquiry form, the child labor form will appear.

The new form is the latest effort in a child labor enforcement initiative launched last year by the DOL and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The initiative includes increased funding for enforcement and new procedures for assessing civil money penalties against employers that break federal child labor laws.

Employers can comment on the proposed form until December 2, 2024.