“Essential Workers, Essential Protections” Campaign

Program Description

Essential workers – grocery clerks, first responders, farmworkers, and so many more – have made sure our country remains open for business, even during a global pandemic. These workers deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. But many workers are unaware of the workplace protections that are available to them or don’t know where to turn when they need help.

The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for enforcing the nation’s most basic workplace protections, including minimum wage, overtime, and family and medical leave. The Wage and Hour Division plays a vital role in ensuring that essential workers get the workplace protections and pay they’ve earned.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division recently produced video PSAs as part of its Essential Workers, Essential Protections initiative. This campaign aims to ensure that the everyday heroes in our communities are afforded every workplace protection available under the law and that workers and employers alike understand these critical protections. The PSAs feature Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh alongside a range of essential workers in construction, agriculture, healthcare, and transportation. The spots encourage viewers to visit www.dol.gov/agencies/whd or call the toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE, to find help or report a violation.