DLI reports sharp rise in WISA intakes and investigations; credits outreach and informal resolutions
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Summary
The Department of Labor and Industry told the Senate Labor Committee that WISA intakes rose to 675 over Sept. 2024'Aug. 2025, investigations reached 123 (118 closed with findings), and DLI achieved a 94.3% resolution rate, largely through informal resolutions and targeted outreach.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry reported to the Senate Labor Committee that complaints and investigations under the Women's Economic Security Act (WISA) rose substantially in the most recent reporting period, and that most cases were resolved through informal processes.
Fuad Ali, supervisor with DLI's Labor Standards Unit, said intake contacts from Sept. 2024 through Aug. 2025 totaled 675 and that the division opened 123 investigations, closing 118 with findings. "Informal resolutions make up the largest sum of DLI's investigations when it comes to WISA," Ali said, describing education and voluntary corrective actions as DLI's primary enforcement tool.
Ali walked the committee through WISA's four main provisions under DLI enforcement: wage disclosure protections; pregnancy accommodations (including seating, extra breaks, limits on lifting and restrictions on employers seeking medical certification for certain accommodations); pregnancy and parenting leave (up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with reinstatement and continued health insurance coverage); and protections for nursing and lactating employees to express breast milk in the workplace.
DLI reported specific enforcement and outcomes for the reporting period: 116 complaints were resolved informally out of 123 investigations; DLI issued 19 pre-enforcement demand letters in cases of serious or willful noncompliance; voluntary agreements secured $81,574.10 in back wages, compensatory or liquidated damages for 21 employees; DLI issued 40 civil penalties, and 160 matters remain subject to further compliance actions. Ali also said investigations sometimes uncover multiple violations across provisions (for example, 12 intakes in one category leading to 34 violations when other provisions were identified during investigation).
Committee members asked whether the rise in investigations reflected new outreach or increased staffing. Ali said DLI had both expanded staffing capacity and used targeted outreach (including training for resident physicians and third-party administrators) to raise awareness and identify violations. When asked whether WISA enforcement covers certain whistleblower complaints tied to other agencies, DLI staff said WISA's retaliation protections are narrow and specific to the statute's listed protections; jurisdiction for other types of complaints may lie elsewhere.
Senators praised the agency's resolution rate and urged continued outreach so workers know their rights. Ali closed by saying DLI will continue to focus on education and informal resolution while supporting pregnant and parenting workers in Minnesota.
