Preparing for a DOL On-Site Inspection

Kara M. Maciel, Chair of Conn Maciel Carey LLP’s national Labor & Employment Practice, authored a LexisNexis Practical Guidance Practice Note addressing a critical area for employers: preparing for a U.S. Department of Labor on-site inspection.

The Practice Note features a DOL On-Site Inspection Checklist that identifies the following:

• The preliminary issues for the employer to resolve before permitting an on-site wage and hour inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
• The measures an employer has the right to and should take during “walk-around” inspections.
• Key training considerations for employees participating in on-site inspections.

A visit from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) can be disruptive, resource‑intensive, and (if not managed carefully) costly. Employers who prepare in advance and respond strategically during an on‑site inspection are far better positioned to protect their operations, their workforce, and their legal interests.

The checklist distills the essential steps employers should take before, during, and after a WHD investigator arrives on site, ensuring that the organization maintains control of the process and exercises every right afforded under federal law.

• Practical Guidance subscribers may access the full Practice Note on LexisNexis.
• Non-subscribers may download the checklist PDF linked here.