2013-09040. Proposed Extension of the Employment Information Form Information Collection

AGENCY:

Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95). 44 U.S.C. 3056(c)(2)(A). This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Wage and Hour Division is soliciting comments concerning its proposal to extend Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Information Collection: Employment Information Form. A copy of the proposed information request can be obtained by contacting the office listed below in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this Notice.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the ADDRESSES section below on or before June 17, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments identified by Control Number 1235-0021, by either one of the following methods: Email: [e-mail]; Mail, Hand Delivery, Courier: Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: Please submit one copy of your comments by only one method. All submissions received must include the agency name and Control Number identified above for this information collection. Because we continue to experience delays in receiving mail in the Washington, DC area, commenters are strongly encouraged to transmit their comments electronically via email or to submit them by mail early. Comments, including any personal information provided, become a matter of public record. They will also be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the information collection request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mary Ziegler, Director, Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Wage and Hour, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: [phone] (this is not a toll-free number). Copies of this notice may be obtained in alternative formats (Large Print, Braille, Audio Tape, or Disc), upon request, by calling [phone] (not a toll-free number). TTY/TTD callers may dial toll-free [phone] to obtain information or request materials in alternative formats.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background: The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor administers the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 201, et seq., which sets the Federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards of most general application. See 29 U.S.C. 206; 207; 211; 212. FLSA requirements apply to employers of employees engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for interstate commerce and of employees in certain enterprises, including employees of a public agency; however, the FLSA contains exemptions that apply to employees in certain types of employment. See 29 U.S.C. 213, et al. FLSA section 11(a) provides that the Secretary of Labor may investigate and gather data regarding the wages, hours, or other conditions and practices of employment in any industry subject to the FLSA, and may enter and inspect such places and such records (and make such transcriptions thereof), question such employees, and investigate such facts, conditions, practices, or matters deemed necessary or appropriate to determine whether any person has violated any provision of the FLSA. 29 U.S.C. 211(a).

Other Federal laws the WHD administers provide similar authority. These Acts include the: Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act (41 U.S.C. 38); McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act (41 U.S.C. 353(a)); Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq., pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 14 of 1950, and Related Acts); Consumer Credit Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1676); Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 1862(a)); Employee Polygraph Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 2004(a)(3)); Family and Medical Leave Act (29 U.S.C. 2616(a)); Immigration and Nationality Act H-2A program (8 U.S.C. 1188(g)); the Immigration and Nationality Act H-2B program (8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(14(B) and the Immigration and Nationality Act H-1C program (8 U.S.C. 1182(m)(2)(E)(ii)). The regulatory provisions authorizing the filing of complaints under these laws and how the agency acts upon the concerns can be found at 29 CFR 4.191, 5.6, 500.1(e), 501.1(c), 501.5, 801.7(a)(3), 825.401; 41 CFR 50-201.1202; and 20 CFR 655.1200(b).

WHD staff use Form WH-3 as a guide for obtaining optional information from complainants (e.g., current and former employees, unions, and competitor employers) about alleged employer violations of the labor standards provisions of the above-cited Acts. Complainants generally provide the optional information requested on the form to WHD staff over the telephone or in-person. Where the information provided does not support a potential WHD enforcement action, complainants are advised and referred to the appropriate agency for further assistance. When the WHD schedules a complaint-based investigation, the agency makes the completed Form WH-3 part of the investigation case file. The form is printed in both English and Spanish.

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) uses this information to determine whether covered employers have complied with various legal requirements of the laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division. The WHD seeks approval to renew this information collection related to the Employment Information Form.

II. Review Focus: The Department of Labor is particularly interested in comments which:

• Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;
• Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected;
• Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
• Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions: The Department of Labor seeks an approval for the extension of this information collection that requires employers to make, maintain, and preserve records in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Type of Review: Extension.

Agency: Wage and Hour Division.

Title: Employment Information Form.

OMB Number: 1235-0021.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit, not-for-profit institutions, farms.

Agency Numbers: Form WH-3.

Total Respondents: 35,000.

Total Annual Responses: 35,000.

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 11,667.

Estimated Time per Response: 20 minutes.

Frequency: On occasion.

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): $0.

Total Burden Costs (operation/maintenance): $0.

Dated: April 11, 2013.

Mary Ziegler,

Director, Division of Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation.