The U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board recently announced that they are aligning together in order to boost sharing, enforcement, training and outreach.

Acting Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman said the memorandum of understanding (MOU) would help both organizations in imposing workplace protections.

“Workers across this nation put food on our tables and keep our families well and our neighborhoods safe. In return, they deserve equity, fair pay and our respect,” Looman said. “The Wage and Hour Division works tirelessly to ensure workers receive their hard-earned wages and job-protected leave without fear of harassment and retaliation. Collaborating with the National Labor Relations Board will expand both of our agencies’ impact and effectiveness in enforcing workplace protections and combating misclassification and preventing retaliation against them.”

According to a news release, the National Labor Relations Board and the DOL’s Wage & Hour Division signed a MOU on Dec. 7 and 8.

The terms call for enhancement of the application process of the laws that both agencies oversee with the MOU seeking to boost the alliance between the agencies through enhanced coordination in collaborative work, according to the news release.

The MOU is nonbinding and conveys the well nurtured intentions of both agencies, according to a news release.

“All too often, workers face adverse action for speaking out about their compensation, whether it is discussing their wages, fighting back against wage theft or advocating for higher wages,” said National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. “The National Labor Relations Act makes it illegal for employers to interfere with, or retaliate against workers for taking these actions.”

Abruzzo added that the problems the agencies focus on are typically the same, which called for the partnership to happen.