**GAO-08-962T**                      Published: Jul 15, 2008. Publicly Released: Jul 15, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

Over 130 million workers are protected from substandard wages and working conditions by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This act contains specific provisions to ensure that workers are paid the federal minimum wage and for overtime, and that youth are protected from working too many hours and from hazardous conditions. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for enforcing employer compliance with FLSA. To secure compliance, WHD uses enforcement actions, partnerships with external groups, and outreach activities. In response to a congressional request, we examined (1) the trends in FLSA compliance activities from fiscal years 1997 to 2007, (2) the effectiveness of WHD's efforts to plan and conduct these activities, and (3) the extent to which these activities have improved FLSA compliance.

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## Topics

Human Capital

AccountabilityData collectionData integrityEmployee rightsEmployeesFair employment programsFederal regulationsInternal controlsInvestigations by federal agenciesMinimum wage ratesNoncompliancePerformance measuresReporting requirementsStrategic planningWage surveysStandardsStandards evaluationProgram goals or objectives