Department of Labor to offer online seminars for employers, workers in September on recent updates in regulations for federal contractors

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it will offer online compliance seminars in September for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders to provide information on recent updates to regulations governing employment practices for federally funded contracts.

On Aug. 8, 2023, the department’s Wage and Hour Division provided for public review the final rule, “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations,” following the first comprehensive review of these regulations in nearly 40 years. Enacted in 1931, the DBRA requires that laborers and mechanics be paid prevailing wages and fringe benefits when they’re employed on federally funded contracts worth more than $2,000 for the construction, alteration or repair of public buildings and other public works.

These seminars will provide participants with an overview of recent DBRA changes and offer them an opportunity to ask for more information or to clarify their concerns. The seminars are part of the division’s ongoing effort to raise awareness of federal prevailing wage requirements among federal contractors and subcontractors and promote compliance.

“Prevailing wage laws ensure that people employed on federally funded construction projects across the nation are paid fair wages and benefits,” explained Principal Deputy Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “With the historic investments being made in our nation’s infrastructure, these online Wage and Hour Division seminars will provide employers and others with information about compliance with regulations governing federal contracts.”

The seminars will begin at 1 p.m. EDT on Sept. 13 and 14, 2023. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

Updates in the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts final rule include the following:

• Returning to the definition of “prevailing wage” used from 1935 to 1983 to address the overuse of average rates, and ensure they better reflect actual wages paid to workers in local communities.
• Periodically updating certain non-collectively bargained and out-of-date prevailing wage rates.
• Recognizing the division’s broad authority to adopt state or local wage determinations as the federal prevailing wage where certain criteria are satisfied.
• Allowing wage determinations to include supplemental rates for key classifications when insufficient survey data exists to publish prevailing wage rates.
• Modernizing and clarifying the definitions of “building or work” and “site of the work.”
• Ensuring that DBRA labor standards’ requirements protect workers by operation of law.
• Strengthening enforcement, including debarment and new anti-retaliation provisions.

For more information on the Davis-Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act and other federal wage laws related to government contracts administered by the Wage and Hour Division, please call the division’s toll-free helpline at 1-866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division.