Title 29

SECTION 502.19

502.19 Civil money penalty assessment.

§ 502.19 Civil money penalty assessment.

(a) A civil money penalty may be assessed by the Administrator, WHD for each violation of the work contract as set forth in § 501.10(a) of these regulations.

(b) In determining the amount of penalty to be assessed for any violation of the work contract as provided in the H-2A provisions of the Act or these regulations the Administrator, WHD shall consider the type of violation committed and other relevant factors. The matters which may be considered include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Previous history of violation or violations of the H-2A provisions of the Act and these regulations;

(2) The number of H-2A employees, corresponding U.S. employees or those U.S. workers individually rejected for employment affected by the violation or violations;

(3) The gravity of the violation or violations;

(4) Efforts made in good faith to comply with the H-2A provisions of the Act and these regulations;

(5) Explanation of person charged with the violation or violations;

(6) Commitment to future compliance, taking into account the public health, interest or safety, and whether the person has previously violated the H-2A provisions of the Act;

(7) The extent to which the violator achieved a financial gain due to the violation, or the potential financial loss or potential injury to the workers.

(c) A civil money penalty for violation of the work contract will not exceed $1,000 for each violation committed (with each failure to pay a worker properly or to honor the terms or conditions of a worker's employment that is required by sec. 218 of the INA, 20 CFR 655, subpart B, or these regulations constituting a separate violation), with the following exceptions:

(1) For a willful failure to meet a covered condition of the work contract, or for willful discrimination, the civil money penalty shall not exceed $5,000 for each such violation committed (with each willful failure to honor the terms or conditions of a worker's employment that are required by sec. 218 of the INA, 20 CFR 655, subpart B, or these regulations constituting a separate violation);

(2) For a violation of a housing or transportation safety and health provision of the work contract that proximately causes the death or serious injury of any worker, the civil money penalty shall not exceed $25,000 per worker, unless the violation is a repeat or willful violation, in which case the penalty shall not exceed $50,000 per worker, or unless the employer failed, after notification, to cure the specific violation, in which case the penalty shall not exceed $100,000 per worker.

(3) For purposes of paragraph (c)(2) of this section, the term serious injury means:

(i) Permanent loss or substantial impairment of one of the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, tactile sensation);

(ii) Permanent loss or substantial impairment of the function of a bodily member, organ, or mental faculty, including the loss of all or part of an arm, leg, foot, hand or other body part; or

(iii) Permanent paralysis or substantial impairment that causes loss of movement or mobility of an arm, leg, foot, hand or other body part.

(d) A civil money penalty for failure to cooperate with a WHD investigation shall not exceed $5,000 per investigation;

(e) For a willful layoff or displacement of any similarly employed U.S. worker in the occupation that is the subject of the Application for Temporary Employment Certification in the area of intended employment within 60 days of the date of need other than for a lawful, job-related reason, except that such layoff shall be permitted where all H-2A workers were laid off first, the civil penalty shall not exceed $10,000 per violation per worker.

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