U.S. Labor Department, Utah Agencies Launch ’employer 101 Labor Law Basic Training’ website

By Sun Advocate

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, the Utah Department of Workforce Services and the Utah Labor Commission have joined forces to launch Employer 101 Labor Law Basic Training, a one-stop online resource for Utah employers on federal and state laws.
The new Web site – available at http://jobs.utah.gov/edo/laborlaw/ – houses a compilation of material co-presented by the three agencies at educational forums during the past four years. Topics include the Fair Labor Standards Act, anti-discrimination and harassment, and Utah’s wage and hour laws.
“It’s important for Utah employers to understand the differences between federal and state labor laws,” said Dean A. Campbell, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s Salt Lake City District Office. “Employer 101 Labor Law Basic Training provides accurate and consistent information directly from the agencies that oversee the statutes. By making presentations available online to Utah employers, our three agencies are maximizing resources and helping these employers avoid inadvertent violations.”
Sponsored by DWS, the Internet resource is the latest in a series of efforts by the three agencies, since entering into a partnership agreement in 2004, to promote voluntary compliance with the labor laws. It is intended to replace on-site training that requires travel and can only reach a finite number of employers.
“This training offers convenience to Utah employers, especially in rural areas of the state,” said Kristen Cox, Executive Director of DWS. “Employers can review the information at any time without having to wait for training to come to their areas. It’s another step in our effort to make more of our services and programs available online.”
For additional information on federal labor laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act, call the Wage and Hour Division’s Salt Lake City District Office at (801) 534-5706 or the Department of Labor’s toll free help line at (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/.