Prohibition on ex parte communications
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) is an administrative court. Improper ex parte communication with the Office of Administrative Law Judges is prohibited by statute and regulation. If you make an improper ex parte communication with this office, including messages sent by email, we are required to put that communication on the public record. See 5 U.S.C. 557(d)(1)(C); 29 C.F.R. § 18.14.
As an administrative court OALJ cannot and will not provide assistance to persons seeking legal advice.
OALJ is an administrative court, and cannot and will not provide legal advice. Rather, questions about the interpretation of labor laws or where to file a complaint should be directed to the agency having administrative responsibility and expertise over the subject matter. For assistance in finding the right agency to which to direct questions, try the general contact page at the main DOL website, or telephone the United States Department of Labor National Call Center, which provides nationwide toll-free assistance to DOL customers with questions about job loss, business closures, pay and leave, workplace safety and health, pension and health benefits, and workplace injuries. In addition to answering general information, the Call Center will relay any specific inquiry to the proper office. The National Toll Free Number is 1-866-4-USA-DOL or 1-866-487-2365. The TTY number is: 1-877-889-5627. Live assistance is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
See also the OALJ FAQ "I have an employment-related question; can you help me?" and the OALJ FAQ "What are the rules governing contact of OALJ?".
Questions about OALJ programs
As stated above, OALJ will not provide advice on labor or employment law questions. General questions about OALJ programs may be addressed by e-mail to OALJ-Questions@dol.gov or by letter or phone to:
Office of Administrative Law Judges
United States Department of Labor
800 K St NW
Washington, DC 20001-8002202-693-7300
Fax: 202-693-7365
Addresses and telephone numbers
Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of OALJ contacts are found at:
General rules about filing
General rules governing filings are found in the OALJ Rules of Practice and Procedure at 29 C.F.R. § 18.30; however, where a rule of special application provides otherwise, the Part 18 rule does not apply. See the page on COVID-19 and Hearings for information about filing by e-mail or through efile.dol.gov during the pandemic.
Reporting technical problems
To report technical problems with the web site, please send an email to the OALJ Webmaster or call 202-693-7542. The OALJ webmaster is a member of the OALJ Information Resources Division, is not a labor law expert, and cannot answer questions about DOL programs.
Submitting an Information Quality Correction Request
Information on submitting an information quality correction request.