Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2025

This bill would create a program at the U.S. Department of Labor that helps employers quickly fix unintentional mistakes in minimum wage or overtime pay and get workers the back pay they are owed. Employers would do a self-audit, apply to the program, and if approved, the Department would verify the calculations and supervise payments to employees. Workers offered a settlement could choose to accept it and receive full back pay, or decline it and keep their right to sue for those unpaid wages; if they accept and are paid in full, they give up the right to sue for the same issue . The Department must also put out plain help materials for employers within 30 days of the law taking effect, and decide on applications within 30 days, speeding up resolutions . Past results from a similar pilot showed this approach got more back pay to more workers, in less time, than traditional investigations .

If an application is denied, the Department generally cannot use the employer’s application against them, charge fees, expand the case beyond what the employer self-reported, or share application details in court without the employer’s consent. One exception allows action if there are concerns about child labor, farmworker protections, or certain visa-related housing or transport issues . The program excludes workers covered by certain prevailing wage laws tied to visas or federal contracts .

• Who is affected: Employees who may have been underpaid and employers who made unintentional wage or overtime mistakes; some workers under specific prevailing wage rules are excluded .
• What changes: A formal, faster path for employers to self-audit, fix problems, and pay full back wages with Labor Department oversight; workers can accept payment or decline and keep the option to sue .
• When: Employer help materials must be available within 30 days of enactment; approved applications must be processed within 30 days, including supervised payments .