Job Description for the Secretary of Labor
In general, the Secretary of Labor looks out for American workers, ensuring their jobs are secure and their working conditions are safe. The secretary promotes opportunities for workers to advance, protect their health benefits, and secure their retirement years. The Secretary of Labor helps employers find workers and oversees the enforcement of nearly 200 laws governing wage work in the United States.
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Overview & History
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All cabinet positions were created through Article 2 of the United States Constitution, and their job descriptions are all the same, though their areas of concern differ. The provision simply states that the president "may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices." The position of Secretary of Labor has evolved through a great deal of political controversy since 1903 during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt. He first proposed a cabinet office, but there was no separate Department of Labor until the last day of President William Howard Taft's administration. The position was fully operational under President Woodrow Wilson.
General Duties
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The Secretary of Labor is the head of the U.S. Department of Labor. It is a cabinet-level position. The president appoints a person to this job, and the U.S. Senate confirms the individual. Cabinet members typically stay in their jobs until the president is out of office. This position has had more female leaders than any other cabinet position in the executive branch. The secretary provides oversight for the entire department and guidance on the laws it enforces, and advises the president on labor issues, including strikes and work shutdowns that could have a massive financial impact.
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Oversight of Labor Department Division
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The Department of Labor has 21 Offices, Programs and Divisions. Among these are the Employment and Training Administration, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the Office of the Inspector General, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, and the Women's Bureau.
Administers & Enforces Laws & Regulations
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The Secretary of Labor provides oversight on the administration and enforcement of 180 federal laws and many accompanying sets of regulations. These laws cover wages and work hours, workplace safety and employee health, benefits, unions, employee protection, uniformed services employment, wage garnishment, the Family and Medical Leave Act, veterans' preferences, government contracts, migrant work, mine safety, construction, transportation, plant closings and layoffs. According to the Department of Labor, these laws apply to 10 million employers and 125 million workers.
Salary
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Almost all of the cabinet secretaries earn the same salary, which is set by the Office of Personnel Management's Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule. With the most recent update, the annual base pay was $199,700.
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