Can I get a status report for my fraud complaint?

The OIG Hotline cannot provide status reports or any information regarding the disposition of your allegation. The information you provide will be processed according to our internal policies and guidelines, and appropriate action will be taken.

I am dissatisfied with a decision issued by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) concerning a decision issued involving a Federal employee’s workers’ compensation claim. Would the OIG be able to address my concerns?

The OIG generally does not initiate investigations or intervene in matters related to individual cases, claims, or benefits determinations. As a result, the OIG typically will not interfere in the administration or adjudication of your claim or intercede on your behalf in any step of the adjudicative process.

If you believe that the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs did not properly consider all of the facts in your claim, you may want to consider pursuing any appeal rights you may have through the workers’ compensation reconsideration and appeals process. For more information about claimant appeal rights, contact the OWCP office that handled your claim.

I have safety and health related concerns involving my workplace, what should I do?

Concerns involving workplace safety and health related matters generally fall under the authority of DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To report workplace safety and health related concerns you can contact OSHA directly at 1-800-321-6742. Alternatively, you can call the National Call Center for further guidance at 1-866-4-USA-DOL.

My employer has not provided me with my paycheck, has not paid me for all the hours I worked, is failing to pay me at least minimum wage, and/or is failing to pay me overtime. Who should I contact?

To report these types of pay-related matters, you can contact DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. The Wage and Hour Division is the DOL agency that addresses pay-related concerns, including allegations of insufficient pay, as well as minimum wage and overtime violations. In addition, the Wage and Hour Division also addresses break related concerns. For further assistance, you can contact the Wage and Hour Division directly at 1-866-487-9243. Alternatively, you can call the National Call Center for further guidance at 1-866-4-USA-DOL.

My employer told me that Social Security and other withholding taxes were submitted to the Internal Revenue Service. However, I have since discovered that my employer failed to report my wages. What should I do?

If you received a W-2 statement from your employer and it does not reflect the appropriate withholdings, you should contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 and provide them with the information that appears on your W-2 statement.
If you do not have a W-2 statement and you suspect that your employer is improperly withholding or failing to withhold Social Security, Federal income or employment taxes, you should report this matter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). For more information, you can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Alternatively, you can report suspected tax fraud activity to the IRS at 1-800-829-0433. For additional information, you can also visit the IRS website at www.treas.gov/irs/ci/.

I believe that my claim for unemployment benefits has been unfairly denied, can I file a complaint with the OIG?

The OIG generally does not initiate investigations or intervene in matters related to individual cases, claims, or benefits determinations. If you believe that your state’s unemployment compensation office did not properly consider all of the facts in your claim, you may want to contact your state’s unemployment compensation office for more information concerning your appeal rights and the appeal process.

I feel that an employer unfairly terminated me. I suspect that discrimination is involved. Who should I contact?

The OIG does not have jurisdiction over issues involving workplace hiring or firing issues. In addition, the OIG generally does not investigate allegations of discrimination in the workplace. You can contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for additional information and guidance concerning workplace discrimination issues and to file a workplace discrimination complaint. The EEOC can be reached at 1-800-669-4000.

I know someone who filed a workers’ compensation claim while working for the Federal government and I believe their workers’ compensation claim is fraudulent. Can I report my concerns to your agency?

Yes. The OIG does have jurisdiction concerning allegations of fraud involving Federal workers’ compensation claims. In addition, the Office of Inspector General for the claimant’s employing agency would also have jurisdiction over a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim filed by one of its employees. If you have allegations to report involving a suspected fraudulent Federal workers’ compensation claim, please contact the OIG Hotline to report your concerns.

I know someone who filed a workers’ compensation claim while working for a state or local government, or while working for a private business and I believe that their workers’ compensation claim is fraudulent. Would your agency have jurisdiction over this type of matter?

No. The OIG does not have jurisdiction over allegations of fraud involving non-Federal workers’ compensation claims. If you believe that someone has filed a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim, and they were not working for the Federal government or the United States Postal Service when they filed their claim, you should report your concerns to the workers’ compensation officials in the state in which the claim was filed. Each state administers its own workers’ compensation program.

I am a union member and I believe my collective bargaining agreement has been violated. I appropriately reported my concerns to my union representative, however, my union representative refused to file a grievance or intervene on my behalf. What should I do?

The OIG does not have jurisdiction over union representation issues. The National Labor Relations Board generally addresses union representation issues and allegations of unfair labor practices by management and/or union officials. For further information and guidance, contact the NLRB at 1-866-667-NLRB (1-866-667-6572).