On April 28, 2018, the Office of Compliance Initiatives (OCI) was created to expand, strengthen, and innovate the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) outreach to workers and the regulated community.
Coordinated by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, OCI promotes greater understanding of federal labor laws and regulations to prevent violations and protect Americans' wages, workplace safety and health, retirement security, and other rights and benefits. As part of its mission, OCI works with the Department’s agencies to enhance targeted outreach and communication strategies, and ensure their activities are effective.
What We Do
- Help workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities under the regulations that agencies administer
- Partner with agencies on innovative outreach as a complement to enforcement
- Help prevent employment law violations, freeing up agencies to focus scarce resources on willful and repeat offenders
Areas of Focus
1. Outreach
- Host forums to gather public input and feedback to inform processes
- Expand upon Worker.gov, Employer.gov, and elaws Advisors
2. Innovation
- Identify and share best practices to link with enforcement strategies
- Create user-focused resources through testing and social listening
3. Culture
- Build long-term relationships with external partners and stakeholders
- Work to institutionalize innovative practices within the Department
- Connect two networks of national office and field outreach staff from the enforcement agencies
4. Analysis
- Identify outreach improvements through cross-agency activities
- Help develop easily accessible resources for workers and employers
Resources
- Worker.gov | En Español – Learn about federal labor laws that protect you at work
- Employer.gov – Get answers to common questions about federal labor laws
- elaws – Employment laws assistance for workers and small businesses
- Employment Law Guide
- A Pocket Guide to DOL – How the U.S. Department of Labor can help you