The United States Department of Labor ("DOL") has announced an enhanced regulatory and enforcement strategy entitled, Plan/Prevent/Protect: The Beginning of a Broader Regulatory and Enforcement Strategy.  The new strategy requires companies to take steps to comply with employment laws before they are the subject of a federal investigation. 

Under Plan/Prevent/Protect, employers will be required to create “Compliance Actions Plans” in collaboration with employees for the purpose of clarifying for employees how to identify and remedy workplace safety hazards and other risks.  The plans must specifically address compliance with standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and the Wage and Hour Division.  The DOL plans to release additional, specific details regarding the regulations in the coming months and will provide employers with an opportunity to comment on both the regulations and the DOL’s strategy.  It is the agency’s hope that the new regulations will force employers to address employment laws proactively instead of waiting for an issue to arise before taking action.

In preparation for the new regulations, employers should proactively review their employment practices, safety and human resources policies and conduct wage and hour audits to ensure that they will be in compliance when the regulations are released.