Leave Protections and Disability Inclusion at the U.S. Department of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) plays a central role in fostering, promoting, and protecting the welfare of America’s wage earners, job seekers, and retirees. Through its various agencies and offices, the department works to improve working conditions, expand opportunities for productive employment, and ensure access to work-related rights and benefits.

One of the Department’s core enforcement agencies is the Wage and Hour Division (WHD). WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. It also oversees compliance with several other critical worker protection laws, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

To mark three decades of vital protections for working families, the Department commemorated the FMLA’s 30th anniversary with nationwide events, interagency collaboration, and the launch of a dedicated webpage featuring updated tools and resources.

The Department also leads on disability inclusion through the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), which advances evidence-based policies and practices, builds cross-sector partnerships, and delivers trusted data on the employment of people with disabilities. A key ODEP initiative, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), is the nation’s leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations.

Disability inclusion remains critical. New research from SHRM examines perceptions of disability awareness, access to workplace accommodations, and the experiences of workers with disabilities across the talent life cycle. The findings highlight both positive employee attitudes and ongoing opportunities for improvement in building truly inclusive workplaces.