Department of Labor Fines Increase for 2018

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Kari Thurlow

Employers that violate laws enforced by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division could face slightly higher civil penalties in 2018.  

Fines for failing to comply with federal rules such as family and medical leave, child labor and  foreign workers will increase about 2 percent across the board in 2018, under a final rule announced by the DOL Dec. 29. The new fines are effective for any violations issued after Jan. 2.  

Examples of some of the increased fines are as follows:

• the maximum penalty for repeated or willful minimum wage and overtime violations has increased under the rule from $1,925 to $1,964;
• an employer who fails to post information about employees’ rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act will be subject to a $169 fine, up from $166;
• fines associated with serious workplace injuries or deaths to children will increase from $55,808 to $56,947. 

Federal law requires agencies to adjust civil monetary penalties annually for inflation.