Quick Facts About the Wage and Hour Division

What is the Wage and Hour Division?

The Wage and Hour division is an agency of the United States Federal Government that operates within the Department of Labor—the government agency responsible for enforcing the nation’s federal labor laws. The primary responsibility of the Wage and Hour Division is to provide administrative duties and recordkeeping for its parent agency.

In addition to providing administrative relief for the Department of Labor, the Wage and Hour Division will enforce regulations and provide clarity regarding several pieces of fundamental labor legislation, including, the Fair Labor Standards Act and more specifically the rules regarding minimum wage, overtime and child labor. Additionally, the Wage and Hour division will institute regulations regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act, particularly the amount of leave awarded to a worker during pregnancy or maternity.

Wage and Hour Division Quick Facts

The following details outline the administration of the Wage and Hour Division:

The Wage and Hour Division was founded in 1981

The headquarters of the Wage and Hour Division are located in Washington, D.C.

The Wage and Hour Division is responsible for the jurisdiction over the Federal Government of the United States

The head of the Wage and Hour Division is Deputy Administrator Nancy Leppink

The Wage and Hour Division operates with roughly 1,000 employees

Government Agency of the Executive Branch

Government agencies are defined as organizations, councils, and offices operating under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government of the United States of America; each federal agency retains specific administrative jurisdiction over specific facets latent within the operations of the United States Government.

The Wage and Hour Division functions as a government agency under the Executive Branch of the United States government, which is comprised of 3 total branches; in addition to the Executive branch – which is responsible for the regulation and enforcement of operational legislation existing within the United States of America – there also exists the Legislative and Judicial Branches.

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