DOL guidance offers Walmart workers a clear path to recover wages

The Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division is urging workers who suspect violations of federal wage, hour and leave laws to use its complaint process, and it is providing clear practical guidance for how to do so. The WHD covers protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which includes minimum wage, overtime and misclassification issues, along with the Family and Medical Leave Act and other federal workplace pay protections.

Workers can start by calling the WHD toll free hotline at 1 866 4 US WAGE, which corresponds to 1 866 487 9243, or by using the agency s local office locator to find and contact the nearest WHD office. Complaints filed with WHD are treated as confidential, and the agency will investigate alleged violations and can recover back pay for employees when violations are found.

Statutes of limitation under the FLSA generally allow employees two years to bring claims for nonwillful violations, and three years for willful violations. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees for filing complaints or for cooperating with WHD investigations, and the agency notes these protections apply across covered federal statutes.

For retail employees at large employers such as Walmart, the guidance is especially relevant. Common workplace disputes in retail include unpaid overtime, improper tipping or pay practices, misclassification of workers as exempt or as independent contractors, and denials of protected leave. Using the WHD complaint process can lead to recovery of unpaid wages and can trigger agency enforcement that affects workplace practices beyond a single store.

WHD offers practical tips to strengthen a complaint. Workers are advised to document dates and times of unpaid work, keep copies of schedules and paystubs, list names of coworkers or other witnesses, and preserve written communications such as texts or emails that relate to hours worked or leave requests. The WHD FirstStep and elaws guidance pages provide step by step instructions and additional resources to help employees prepare a complaint.

Filing with WHD does not require a lawyer, and the agency will handle investigations and potential enforcement. For employees weighing whether to take that step, the combination of a confidential complaint process, statutory time limits, the possibility of recovering back pay, and explicit protections against retaliation makes the WHD pathway a viable option for workers seeking to resolve wage, hour or leave disputes.