Department of Labor Statement About Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions

March 9, 2009 An employer in Atalissa, Iowa, who for 30 years had provided substandard living and employment conditions for employees with developmental disabilities, was the topic of a hearing by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The committee sought to understand how the situation could have occurred and how to prevent similar abuses in the future. John McKeon, a deputy administrator in the Department of Labor (DOL) wage and hour division, testified about the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act relevant to the Atalissa situation. Mr. McKeon said DOL has half the number of wage . . .