§5.11. Disputes concerning payment of wages. — Inbound Citations

(1) In addition to cases under which debarment action is initiated pursuant to § 5.11, whenever as a result of an investigation conducted by the Federal agency or the Department of Labor, and where the Administrator finds reasonable cause to believe that a contractor or subcontractor has committed violations which constitute a disregard of its obligations to workers or subcontractors under the Davis-Bacon Act, the labor standards provisions of any of the other applicable statutes referenced by § 5.1, this part, or part 3 of this subtitle, the Administrator will notify by registered or certified mail to the last known address or by any other means normally assuring delivery, the contractor or subcontractor and responsible officers, if any, and any firms, corporations, partnerships, or associations in which the contractors, subcontractors, or responsible officers are known to have an interest of the finding.

(i) The Administrator will afford such contractor, subcontractor, responsible officer, and any other parties notified an opportunity for a hearing as to whether debarment action should be taken under paragraph (a) of this section. The Administrator will furnish to those notified a summary of the investigative findings.

(ii) If the contractor, subcontractor, responsible officer, or any other parties notified wish to request a hearing as to whether debarment action should be taken, such a request must be made by letter or by any other means normally assuring delivery, sent within 30 days of the date of the notification from the Administrator, and must set forth any findings which are in dispute and the basis for such disputed findings, including any affirmative defenses to be raised.

(iii) Upon timely receipt of such request for a hearing, the Administrator will refer the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge by Order of Reference, with an attached copy of the notification from the Administrator and the responses of the contractor, subcontractor, responsible officers, or any other parties notified, for designation of an Administrative Law Judge to conduct such hearings as may be necessary to determine the matters in dispute.

(iv) In considering debarment under any of the statutes referenced by § 5.1 other than the Davis-Bacon Act, the Administrative Law Judge will issue an order concerning whether the contractor, subcontractor, responsible officer, or any other party notified is to be debarred in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section. In considering debarment under the Davis-Bacon Act, the Administrative Law Judge will issue a recommendation as to whether the contractor, subcontractor, responsible officers, or any other party notified should be debarred under 40 U.S.C. 3144(b).

(b) If the person and any contractors for whom the person worked or on whose behalf the person acted do not remedy the violation, the Administrator in the notification of violation findings issued under § 5.11 or § 5.12 will direct the person and any contractors for whom the person worked or on whose behalf the person acted to provide appropriate make-whole relief to affected worker(s) and job applicant(s) or take appropriate remedial action, or both, to correct the violation, and will specify the particular relief and remedial actions to be taken.

(a) Upon timely receipt of a request for a hearing under § 5.11 (where the Administrator has determined that relevant facts are in dispute) or § 5.12 of part 5 of this title, the Administrator shall refer the case to the Chief Administrative Law Judge by Order of Reference, to which shall be attached a copy of the notification letter to the respondent from the Administrator and response thereto, for designation of an Administrative Law Judge to conduct such hearings as may be necessary to decide the disputed matters. A copy of the Order of Reference and attachments thereto shall be served upon the respondent.

At any time prior to the closing of the hearing record, the complaint (notification letter) or answer (response) may be amended with the permission of the Administrative Law Judge and upon such terms as he/she may approve. For proceedings pursuant to § 5.11 of part 5 of this title, such an amendment may include a statement that debarment action is warranted under § 5.12(a)(1) of part 5 of this title or under section 3(a) of the Davis-Bacon Act. Such amendments shall be allowed when justice and the presentation of the merits are served thereby, provided there is no prejudice to the objecting party's presentation on the merits. When issues not raised by the pleadings are reasonably within the scope of the original complaint and are tried by express or implied consent of the parties, they shall be treated in all respects as if they had been raised in the pleadings, and such amendments may be made as necessary to make them conform to the evidence. The presiding Administrative Law Judge may, upon reasonable notice and upon such terms as are just, permit supplemental pleadings setting forth transactions, occurrences or events which have happened since the date of the pleadings and which are relevant to any of the issues involved. A continuance in the hearing may be granted or the record left open to enable the new allegations to be addressed.

(e) The Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, will respond directly to the contractor or subcontractor, with a copy to the contracting agency. The contractor or subcontractor may appeal the Administrator's findings in accordance with the procedures outlined in Labor Department Regulations (29 CFR 5.11). Hearings before administrative law judges are conducted in accordance with 29 CFR part 6, and hearings before the Labor Department Administrative Review Board are conducted in accordance with 29 CFR part 7.