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Section Text1: The Labor Cabinet is comprised of the Office of the Secretary, the Office of General Counsel, the Department of Workers’ Claims and the Department of Workplace Standards. In addition, the Labor-Management Advisory Council, the State Labor Relations Board, the Workers’ Compensation Funding Commission, the Prevailing Wage Review Board, the Apprenticeship and Training Council, the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance Authority are affixed to the Cabinet for administrative purposes only. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of General Administration and Program Support (GAPS) are also affixed to the Cabinet for administrative purposes and as a support arm for the Labor Cabinet, the Energy and Environment Cabinet and the Public Protection Cabinet. The Secretary of the Labor Cabinet serves as the appointing authority for both the OIG and GAPS.

The primary responsibility of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet is to ensure that divisions and offices falling under the auspices of the Cabinet work within the jurisdiction of Kentucky labor law to ensure equitable and fair treatment of the Commonwealth’s 2,113,000 wage earning employees. Specifically, the Cabinet, according to regulation, shall have the duties, responsibilities, power, and authority relating to labor, wage and hour issues, occupational safety and health of employees, child labor, apprenticeship, workers’ compensation insurance, and all other matters under the jurisdiction of the Labor Cabinet. In addition, the Office of the Secretary serves to coordinate and promote positive and progressive working relationships between labor and industry, while simultaneously enforcing Kentucky’s labor laws.

You are invited to browse the Labor Cabinet website and please feel free to contact the Cabinet should you need assistance or have questions. Visitors are always welcome.

Section Text2:

The Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims (DWC) is responsible for providing a fair, efficient and effective arena for resolving disputes that arise under the Kentucky Workers’ Compensation Act. The DWC ensures that once an employee has been injured in the workplace, the employee receives required benefits from insurers or self-insured employers along with any necessary medical attention.

The Claims Processing Division provides support to the Administrative Law Judges, the Workers’ Compensation Board and completes each step in the processing of required forms for establishment of a claim. The Division is broken up into four sections: Claims Review, Claims Assignment, Agreements and Appeals.

The Constituent Services (Specialists-Ombudsmen) Division provides a wide variety of services from mediating disputes and advising parties of their rights and obligations under the Workers’ Compensation Act to responding to inquiries and complaints about the system and participants in the program. They serve as a neutral source for employees, employers, medical providers and other program participants.

The Division of Information & Research is responsible for collecting and retrieving data as well as disseminating information. This division includes the records branch (which encompasses Data Entry, EDI Claims, EDI Proof of Coverage and the Research Section) and the Imaging Branch (includes Open Records and the Scanning Section). These sections combine to ensure the data submitted to the department is reliable and accurate.

The Security & Compliance Division is made up of the Self-Insurance Branch and the Compliance Branch. The Self-Insurance branch audits self-insured employers’ claim files, monitors their financial strength and determines the surety requirements necessary to secure benefits for the self-insured employers’ workforce. The Compliance Branch encompasses the enforcement section (responsible for investigating the status of insurance coverage through on-site visits to employers) and the administrative processing section (responsible for certifying coverage, maintaining records and registering employee leasing organizations).

The DWC also provides information and services to claimants, employers, attorneys, the insurance community, judges, legislators, governmental entities and other parties. The DWC determines whether an employer may self-insure and maintains information on the mandatory insurance requirement of employers. Some of the responsibilities of the DWC include adjudication, compliance inspections, auditing and enforcing payments, reviewing settlements, compiling statistics, and general oversight of medical services & cost containment in workers’ compensation. The DWC encourages rehabilitation and reemployment for workers injured in the workplace and promotes the reduction of work related injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Visit the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims web site.

Section Text3: The Department of Workplace Standards has the statutory authority and oversight to carry out the administrative duties of the Divisions of Employment Standards, Apprenticeship and Mediation, Workers’ Compensation Funds, Labor-Management Relations and Mediation, and the Occupational Safety and Health Program.

The Kentucky Safety and Health (OSH) Program's mission is to prevent any detriment to the safety and health of all public and private sector employees arising out of exposure to harmful conditions or practices at places of work.

If you are an employee with questions or complaints about safety and health hazards at your workplace then you are likely to be looking for our Division of OSH Compliance. This enforcement side of the KYOSH program investigates safety and health issues and whistleblower concerns related to safety and health.

If you are an employer seeking free and confidential assistance with safety and health in your workplace, please follow the link to our Division of Education and Training. This consultation side of the KYOSH Program provides free safety and health surveys, free training, and administers voluntary partnership programs.

Industry-specific OSH regulations that are applicable in Kentucky can be found on the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations page.

The Division of Employment Standards, Apprenticeship and Mediation handles issues related to wage and hour; child labor laws; and prevailing wage; as well as oversees the Commonwealth’s registered Apprenticeship programs and assists with collective bargaining mediation.

If you would like more information or would like to file a complaint on wage and hour issues (including but not limited to minimum wage, overtime, child labor, break/lunch laws, pay shortages, time reporting, etc.), please review our Employment Standards web page.

If you need information relating to current Prevailing Wage rates and/or upcoming hearing details, our Prevailing Wage section will be able to assist you.

If you are an employer interested in establishing an apprenticeship program in your business, please refer to our Apprenticeship Program web site for valuable information.

Our Labor-Management Relations and Mediation Programs offer a variety of mediation services designed to assist labor and management in moving toward a more cooperative and productive relationship in collective bargaining settings.

The Division of Workers' Compensation Funds (formerly Division of Special Fund) is responsible for the administration of the special fund and coal workers' pneumoconiosis fund.

Please use the following link to access the Division of Workers' Compensation Funds' forms.

Section Text4:

Visit the Labor Cabinet News page for the latest news, alerts and press releases from the Labor Cabinet.

Visit the Español page for services the Labor Cabinet offers to Hispanics living and working in the commonwealth.

Visit our Useful Links page for links to other labor related websites.

The Labor Cabinet Organizational Chart will give you a visual representation of how the Labor Cabinet is organized.

If you have been cited for an occupational safety and health violation and wish to contest it, visit the KOSH Review Commission for assistance.

Visit the Workers' Compensation Funding Commission website for information about the assessment rates and the funding of workers' compensation.

Section Title1: The Kentucky Labor Cabinet

Section Title2: Workers' Compensation Claims

Section Title3: Employee Safety and Health, Wage and Hour Regulations

Section Title4: Additional services provided by the Labor Cabinet

Contact Info:

Kentucky Labor Cabinet

1047 U.S. Highway 127 South, Suite 4

Frankfort KY 40601

Phone: (502) 564-3070

Fax: (502) 564-5387

Email: Kentucky Labor Cabinet

Kentucky Labor Cabinet: Pages

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