It is the inaugural National Apprenticeship Week (“NAW”), so let’s review the events this week at DOL.

An employee who was tasked by the company CEO to audit the company’s SCA compliance, who found that the company was not compliant, and who allegedly was fired after repeatedly rebuking the CEO for the allegedly knowing noncompliance, could not bring a qui tam action, because conducting the audit became part of his normal duties once the CEO instructed him to conduct it. See U.S. ex rel. Irizarry v. Innovative Technologies, Inc., 2025 WL 2298711 (D.D.C. 2025).

The Trump Administration -- whether due to incompetence, malfeasance, ideological opposition, or plain obstinate refusal to obey the rule of law -- has failed to publish new 2026 civil money penalties (“CMPs”) for the wage and hour laws which were required to be issued by January 15th.