Legal Definitions - Employment Standards Administration

The Employment Standards Administration (ESA) is a unit within the U.S. Department of Labor that is responsible for enforcing various laws and programs related to employment standards. These include:

• Minimum-wage and overtime standards
• Registration of farm-labor contractors
• Wage rates to be paid and the nondiscrimination and affirmative-action programs to be followed by government contractors and subcontractors
• Workers'-compensation programs for federal and certain private employers
• Financial integrity and the internal organizational practices of labor unions
• Certification of employee protection for federally sponsored transportation programs

The ESA operates through four divisions that have regional offices or administrators in various cities:

• The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
• The Wage and Hour Division
• The Office of Labor–Management Standards
• The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs

For example, the Wage and Hour Division is responsible for enforcing minimum-wage and overtime standards. This means that they ensure that employers are paying their employees at least the minimum wage and providing overtime pay when required by law. The Office of Labor–Management Standards, on the other hand, is responsible for ensuring that labor unions are operating in a financially responsible and transparent manner.