(a) Filing a complaint. Any employee of the predecessor contractor who believes the successor contractor has violated this part, or their authorized representative, may file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) within 120 days from the first date of contract performance. The employee or authorized representative may file a complaint directly with any office of the WHD. No particular form of complaint is required. A complaint may be filed orally or in writing. The WHD will accept the complaint in any language.

(b) Confidentiality. It is the policy of the Department of Labor to protect the identity of its confidential sources and to prevent an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. Accordingly, the identity of any individual who makes a written or oral statement as a complaint or in the course of an investigation, as well as portions of the statement which would tend to reveal the individual's identity, will not be disclosed in any manner to anyone other than Federal officials without the prior consent of the individual. Disclosure of such statements will be governed by the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, see 29 CFR part 70) and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a).

(a) Initial investigation. The Administrator may initiate an investigation under this part either as the result of a complaint or at any time on the Administrator's own initiative. The Administrator may investigate potential violations of, and obtain compliance with, the Executive Order. As part of the investigation, the Administrator may conduct interviews with the predecessor and successor contractors, as well as confidential interviews with the relevant contractors' workers at the worksite during normal work hours; inspect the relevant contractors' records; make copies and transcriptions of such records; and require the production of any documents or other evidence deemed necessary to determine whether a violation of this part, including conduct warranting imposition of debarment pursuant to § 9.23(d), has occurred. Federal agencies and contractors must cooperate with any authorized representative of the Department of Labor in the inspection of records, in interviews with workers, and in all aspects of investigations.

(b) Subsequent investigations. The Administrator may conduct a new investigation or issue a new determination if the Administrator concludes circumstances warrant, such as where the proceedings before an Administrative Law Judge reveal that there may have been violations with respect to other employees of the contractor, where imposition of debarment is appropriate, or where the contractor has failed to comply with an order of the Secretary.

(a) Authority. Executive Order 14055 provides that the Secretary will have the authority to issue final orders prescribing appropriate sanctions and remedies, including but not limited to requiring the contractor to offer employment, in positions for which the employees are qualified, to employees from the predecessor contract and the payment of wages lost.

(b) Unpaid wages or other relief due. In addition to satisfying any costs imposed under §§ 9.34(j) or 9.35(d) of this part, a contractor that violates any provision of this part must take appropriate action to abate the violation, which may include hiring each affected employee in a position on the contract for which the employee is qualified, together with compensation (including lost wages) and other terms, conditions, and privileges of that employment. The contractor will pay interest on any underpayment of wages and on any other monetary relief due under this part. Interest on any back wages or monetary relief provided for in this part will be calculated using the percentage established for the underpayment of taxes under 26 U.S.C. 6621 and will be compounded daily.

(c) Withholding of funds—(1) Unpaid wages or other relief. The Administrator may additionally direct that payments due on the contract or any other contract between the contractor and the Federal Government be withheld in such amounts as may be necessary to pay unpaid wages or to provide other appropriate relief due under this part. Upon the final order of the Secretary that such monies are due, the Administrator may direct the relevant contracting agency to transfer the withheld funds to the Department of Labor for disbursement.

(2) List of employees. If the contracting officer or the Administrator finds that the predecessor contractor has failed to provide a list of the names of service employees working under the contract and its subcontracts during the last month of contract performance in accordance with § 9.12(e), the contracting officer may, at their discretion, and must upon request by the Administrator, take such action as may be necessary to cause the suspension of the payment of contract funds until such time as the list is provided to the contracting officer.

(3) Notification to a contractor of the withholding of funds. If the Administrator directs a contracting agency to withhold funds from a contractor pursuant to § 9.23(c)(1), the Administrator or contracting agency must notify the affected contractor.

(d) Debarment. Where the Secretary finds that a contractor has failed to comply with any order of the Secretary or has committed willful violations of Executive Order 14055 or this part, the Secretary may order that the contractor and its responsible officers, and any firm in which the contractor has a substantial interest, will be ineligible to be awarded any contract or subcontract of the United States for a period of up to 3 years. Neither an order for debarment of any contractor or subcontractor from further government contracts under this section nor the inclusion of a contractor or subcontractor on a published list of noncomplying contractors will be carried out without affording the contractor or subcontractor an opportunity for a hearing.

(e) Antiretaliation. When the Administrator finds that a contractor has interfered with an investigation of the Administrator under this part or has in any manner discriminated against any person because such person has cooperated in such an investigation or has attempted to exercise any rights afforded under this part, the Administrator may require the contractor to provide any relief to the affected person as may be appropriate, including employment, reinstatement, promotion, and the payment of lost wages, including interest.