DOL Increases Civil Money Penalties for 2022, Effective January 15, 2022 | Practical Law

DOL Increases Civil Money Penalties for 2022, Effective January 15, 2022 | Practical Law

The Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations that include the agency's 2022 annual inflation adjustments to civil money penalties assessed in its regulations, effective January 15, 2022. The adjustments are required under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The final regulations address penalties imposed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), among other statutes.

DOL Increases Civil Money Penalties for 2022, Effective January 15, 2022

Practical Law Legal Update w-034-0969 (Approx. 15 pages)

DOL Increases Civil Money Penalties for 2022, Effective January 15, 2022

by Practical Law Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
Published on 14 Jan 2022USA (National/Federal)
The Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations that include the agency's 2022 annual inflation adjustments to civil money penalties assessed in its regulations, effective January 15, 2022. The adjustments are required under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). The final regulations address penalties imposed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), among other statutes.
On January 13, 2022, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued final regulations containing inflation adjustments to civil money penalties that the DOL administers (87 Fed. Reg. 2328 (Jan. 14, 2022)). The adjustments are required under the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (Inflation Adjustment Act). As background, the Inflation Adjustment Act significantly revised the method for calculating inflation adjustments for penalty increases, including by:
  • Providing an initial "catch-up" adjustment for civil money penalties.
  • Requiring the DOL and other federal agencies to annually adjust the penalties for inflation (under a cost-of-living formula), by January 15 of each year.
In July 2016, the DOL issued interim final regulations establishing an initial catch-up for civil money penalties that the agency administers (see Legal Update, DOL Increases Civil Money Penalties, Effective August 1). This included penalties imposed under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The changes affected penalties enforced by:
For information on the DOL's annual inflation adjustments for 2017 through 2021, see Legal Updates:

Effective Date of 2022 Annual Adjustments

The final regulations are effective January 15, 2022. As provided by the Inflation Adjustment Act, the increased penalty levels apply to any penalties assessed after this date. This means that the final regulations' higher penalty amounts apply for penalties assessed after January 15, 2022, whose associated violations occurred after November 2, 2015. (The final regulations were not subject to notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements under Section 553 of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA).)
The DOL provided a table illustrating which penalty level applies, keyed to when the underlying violation occurred and when the resulting penalty was assessed.
Violations Occurring:
Penalty Assessed:
Applicable Penalty Level:
On or before November 2, 2015
On or before August 1, 2016
Pre-August 1, 2016 levels
On or before November 2, 2015
After August 1, 2016
Pre-August 1, 2016 levels
After November 2, 2015
After August 1, 2016, but on or before January 13, 2017
August 1, 2016 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 13, 2017, but on or before January 2, 2018
January 13, 2017 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 2, 2018, but on or before January 23, 2019
January 2, 2018 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 23, 2019, but on or before January 15, 2020
January 23, 2019 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 15, 2020, but on or before January 15, 2021
January 15, 2020 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 15, 2021, but on or before January 15, 2022
January 15, 2021 levels
After November 2, 2015
After January 15, 2022
January 15, 2022 levels

Adjustment Process and Calculation

The annual adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U). In general, an adjustment is calculated using the percent change between:
  • The October CPI-U preceding the date of the adjustment (here, the October 2021 CPI-U).
  • The prior year's October CPI-U (here, the October 2020 CPI-U).
The cost-of-living adjustment multiplier for 2022, based on the CPI-U for October 2021, not seasonally adjusted, is 1.06222. To calculate the 2022 annual adjustment, the DOL multiplied the most recent penalty amount for each applicable penalty by the multiplier, 1.06222, and rounded to the nearest dollar.

Table of Adjusted Penalties for Violations of Select ERISA Requirements

The below table reflects the DOL's 2022 annual inflation adjustments to the civil money penalties for violations of certain requirements under ERISA, effective January 15, 2022.
ERISA Provision
Description of Violation
Maximum 2022 Penalty (As Adjusted)
ERISA § 209(b) 
Failure to furnish certain reports (for example, pension benefit statements) or to maintain employee records
$33
ERISA § 502(c)(2)
Failure or refusal to properly file a plan's annual report (Form 5500) (see Practice Note, Form 5500 for Employee Benefit Plans: Overview)
$2,400
ERISA § 502(c)(4)
Failure to (i) notify participants of certain benefit restrictions or limitations under Internal Revenue Code (Code) Section 436(f); (ii) for multiemployer plans, (A) provide certain financial and actuarial reports and (B) provide estimates of withdrawal liability; and (iii) furnish automatic contribution arrangement notices (QACA notices) (see Standard Document, Safe Harbor Notice for Qualified Retirement Plans with Optional QACA Provisions)
$1,899
ERISA § 502(c)(5)
Failure of a multiple employer welfare arrangement (MEWA) to file an annual report
$1,746
ERISA § 502(c)(6)
Failure to provide information requested by the Secretary of Labor under ERISA Section 104(a)(6)
$171 per day; not to exceed $1,713 per request
ERISA § 502(c)(7)
Failure to provide a required blackout notice and notice of right to divest employer securities (see Standard Document, Blackout Notice)
$152
ERISA § 502(c)(8)
Failure of multiemployer plan in endangered status to adopt a funding improvement plan (or if in critical status, a rehabilitation plan)
Failure also applies to an endangered status plan (that is not a seriously endangered status plan) that fails to meet its benchmark by end of funding improvement period (see Practice Note, Multiemployer Pension Plans)
$1,507
ERISA § 502(c)(9)(A)
Per day failure by an employer to inform employees of coverage opportunities under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (ERISA Section 701(f)(3)(B)(i)(l)) (each employee a separate violation)
$127
ERISA § 502(c)(9)(B)
Per day failure by a plan to timely provide to any state information required to be disclosed under ERISA Section 701(f)(3)(B)(ii) (also regarding CHIP) (each participant or beneficiary a separate violation)
$127
ERISA § 502(c)(10)
Failure by a plan sponsor of a group health plan, or a health insurer offering coverage in connection with the plan, to satisfy ERISA's requirements regarding genetic information (multiple subparts) (see Practice Note, GINA Compliance for Health and Welfare Plans)
$127 
$3,192 
$19,157 
$638,556
ERISA § 502(c)(12)
Failure of a Cooperative and Small Employer Charity (CSEC) plan sponsor to establish or update a funding restoration plan
$117
ERISA § 502(m)
Failure of fiduciary to make a proper distribution from a defined benefit plan under ERISA Section 206(e)
$18,500
ERISA § 715
Failure to provide summaries of benefits and coverage (SBCs), as required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Section 2715 of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA); 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-15) (see Practice Note, Summaries of Benefits and Coverage Under the ACA)
$1,264

Table of Adjusted Penalties for Violations of Select WHD Requirements

The below table reflects the DOL's 2022 annual inflation adjustments to the civil money penalties for violations of certain requirements under WHD enforcement authority, effective January 15, 2022.
Statute/Regulation
Description of Violation
2022 Penalty (As Adjusted)
Violation of MSPA or any of its regulations
$2,739
Violation of work contract or of H-2A visa program's statutory or regulatory requirements
$1,898
Willful violation of work contract or of H-2A visa program's statutory or regulatory requirements, or for each act of discrimination prohibited by Section 501.4
$6,386
Violation of housing or transportation safety and health provision of work contract or of H-2A visa program's statutory or regulatory requirements that proximately causes worker's death or serious injury
$63,232
Repeat or willful violation of housing or transportation safety and health provision of work contract or of H-2A visa program's statutory or regulatory requirements that proximately causes worker's death or serious injury
$126,463
Failure to cooperate with WHD investigation into H-2A violation
$6,386
Laying off or displacing a US worker employed under circumstances specified in Section 501.19(e)
$18,970
Improperly rejecting a US worker applicant for employment in violation of the H-2A visa program's statutory or regulatory requirements
$18,970
Violation of D-1 visa program involving crewmembers for longshore activities in US ports
$10,360
INA, INA § 212(n)(2)(C)(ii) or (t)(3)(C)(ii) (8 U.S.C. § 1182(n)(2)(C)(ii) or (t)(3)(C)(ii)); 20 C.F.R. § 655.801(b)
Retaliation for supplying information or cooperating with investigation of employer's compliance with INA
$8,433
Violation of H-1B visa program
$2,072
Willful violation of H-1B visa program or discrimination against an employee
$8,433
Willful violation that displaced a US worker within 90 days before and 90 days after an H-1B petition was filed
$59,028
Violation of H-2B wage requirements
$13,885
Violation of H-2B nondiscriminatory hiring, US hiring, and no strike or lockout provisions
$13,885
Any other H-2B violation
$13,885
Violation related to homeworkers – recordkeeping
Minor $22-231; Substantial $231-460; Repeated, intentional, or knowing $460-1,151
Employment of homeworkers without a certificate
Substantial $231-460; Repeated, intentional, or knowing $460-1,151
Repeat or willful violation of FLSA minimum wage and overtime requirements
$1,234-2,203
Violations of FLSA child labor provisions or regulations
$14,050
Violations of FLSA child labor provisions or regulations that cause death or serious injury to an employee under age 18
$63,855
Violation of EPPA or of part 801
$23,011
Violation of FMLA posting requirement
$189

Table of Adjusted Penalties for Violations of Select OSHA Requirements

The below table reflects the DOL's 2022 annual inflation adjustments to the civil money penalties for violations of certain requirements under OSH Act, effective January 15, 2022.
Statute/Regulation
Description of Violation
2022 Penalty (As Adjusted)
Repeated or willful violation of OSH Act Section 5, rules or orders under OSH Act Section 6, or applicable regulations
$145,027
Serious violation of OSH Act Section 5, rules or orders under OSH Act Section 6, or applicable regulations
$14,502
Other-than-serious violation of OSH Act Section 5, rules or orders under OSH Act Section 6, or applicable regulations
$14,502
Failure to correct a violation of OSH Act
$14,502
Violation of OSH Act posting requirement
$14,502