Bureau of Labor Standards seeks farmer feedback to make online materials easier to use

Heidi, outreach and education for the Bureau of Labor Standards, led a small-group review of the agency’s online and printed materials and asked farmers and employers for suggestions to make guidance easier to find and use.

The session focused on usability and accessibility: Heidi demonstrated the bureau website and several print handouts and posters, described free safety-consultation services and training, and asked attendees whether the materials would be helpful in farming contexts where information is often needed outside of typical business hours. She said the bureau’s goal is to promote compliance while helping both workers and employers understand their rights and responsibilities.

Participants told the bureau they valued simple layouts, prominent contact information and a clearer path to agriculture-specific rules. A Farmer said the booklet was “handy and helpful,” and advised highlighting agriculture under “hazardous occupations” so growers could more quickly find age-eligibility and hiring guidance. An Employee added, “Keep it simple,” endorsing larger type and bullet-point summaries rather than dense legal text.

Heidi outlined key bureau services: the wage-and-hour division (which she said includes a director, a chief inspector, eight inspectors, a field investigator and office specialists) enforces wage and child-labor statutes; the workplace safety and health unit offers free consultations and a calendar of safety classes; and research staff compile injury, fatality and wage-survey data. She also described a state monitor advocate role for migrant and seasonal farm workers and said the bureau tries to be proactive—encouraging employers to ask questions before practices become enforcement issues.

On agriculture-specific questions, Heidi said that agricultural work has different treatment in some areas of labor law and pointed attendees to U.S. Department of Labor hazardous-occupations guidance for rules on youth tasks and age eligibility. During the discussion Heidi and participants agreed that site navigation can make it easy to “scroll past” the agriculture information, so the bureau should add stronger visual cues and a dedicated landing area for farmers and employers.

Heidi noted a forthcoming update to a Paid Family Medical Leave poster that will add a phone number for contact. She encouraged attendees to use the bureau’s call center, web portal and free trainings, and offered to present a longer briefing on bureau functions at a future meeting. The session ended with Heidi handing out business cards and thanking participants for feedback.

The bureau did not take formal votes or adopt policy during the meeting; next steps are internal updates to online navigation and printed materials and follow-up outreach to review those changes.