About the Division of Labor & Worker Safety

Responsibility and Mission

The Division of Labor & Worker Safety (LAWS) is the division of the Ohio Department of Commerce which administers and enforces Ohio's Minimum Wage Laws (Ohio Revised Code 4111), Ohio's Minor Labor Law (ORC 4109), and Ohio's Prevailing Wage Law (ORC 4115).
The Division’s staff conducts routine inspections of workplaces throughout the State. They provide information on the areas they enforce, ensure compliance with the labor laws, investigate complaints, and consult with both employers and employees.
The Division assists the public in understanding their rights and responsibilities under the wage and hour laws of the State and pursues reported violations of those laws. They also disseminate prevailing wage information, coordinate the activities of the field staff, standardize enforcement procedures, and interpret the rules and regulations.

Making the Turn in Turn Around Ohio

The Division understands the Governor’s Turn Around Ohio Plan and the Leadership Agenda as referenced in the Accountable Government Act documentation. It can make a direct and positive impact on the Governor’s Leadership Agenda, especially with the goal to "raise Ohio’s per capita income rate above the national average by the year 2010." By ensuring fair, timely, and accurate review and enforcement of prevailing wage, minimum wage, and minor labor cases, LAWS can assist Ohio’s citizens in ensuring that they receive all the income that they have earned and are due under the law.
The Division will contribute to the Governor’s goal of "by 2017, increase the number of Ohioans enrolled in post-secondary education by 230,000 and raise Ohio’s success rate by increasing the number of those who graduate with a 2-year or 4-year degree by 20 percent (20%)." To do so, the Division will continue to enforce minor labor laws and support secondary education with its Minor Work Permit Program, which assists schools in maintaining a balance between work and education for students under the age of 18.

LAWS will maintain accountability within the Division to ensure that all operations are efficient and effective. The Division’s objectives, projects, and activities will be in line with agency priorities. Those priorities include efforts to:

• Commit to fair and efficient regulations that protect consumers without overburdening businesses.
• Improve response time to customer’s needs across the regulated industries.

Major Objectives

The Division of Labor & Worker Safety has several main objectives. They are:

• Efficiently pursue, enforce, and ensure compliance with the State’s minimum wage, minor labor, and prevailing wage labor laws and properly investigate all complaints that it receives.

• Provide readily available information, consult with both employers and employees, and educate the public on the areas the laws it enforces.

• Clearly and concisely interpret the rules and regulations associated with the State’s minimum, minor, and prevailing wage labor laws.

• Conduct inspections of workplaces, investigations, and hearings in a professional and fact finding manner.

• Accurately and efficiently disseminate prevailing wage information to all those that require it.