§ 23.440 Remedies and sanctions.

(a) Unpaid wages. When the Administrator determines a contractor has failed to pay the applicable Executive Order minimum wage to workers, the Administrator will notify the contractor and the applicable contracting agency of the unpaid wage violation and request the contractor to remedy the violation. If the contractor does not remedy the violation of the Executive Order or this part, the Administrator shall direct the contractor to pay all unpaid wages to the affected workers in the investigative findings letter it issues pursuant to § 23.510. The Administrator may additionally direct that payments due on the contract or any other contract between the contractor and the Government be withheld as necessary to pay unpaid wages. Upon the final order of the Secretary that unpaid wages are due, the Administrator may direct the relevant contracting agency to transfer the withheld funds to the Department of Labor for disbursement.

(b) Antiretaliation. When the Administrator determines that any person has discharged or in any other manner discriminated against any worker because such worker filed any complaint or instituted or caused to be instituted any proceeding under or related to the Executive Order or this part, or because such worker testified or is about to testify in any such proceeding, the Administrator may provide for any relief to the worker as may be appropriate, including employment, reinstatement, promotion, and the payment of lost wages.

(c) Debarment. Whenever a contractor is found by the Secretary of Labor to have disregarded its obligations under the Executive Order, or this part, such contractor and its responsible officers, and any firm, corporation, partnership, or association in which the contractor or responsible officers have an interest, shall be ineligible to be awarded any contract or subcontract subject to the Executive Order for a period of up to three years from the date of publication of the name of the contractor or responsible officer on the ineligible list. Neither an order for debarment of any contractor or its responsible officers from further Government contracts nor the inclusion of a contractor or its responsible officers on a published list of noncomplying contractors under this section shall be carried out without affording the contractor or responsible officers an opportunity for a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.

(d) Civil action to recover greater underpayments than those withheld. If the payments withheld under § 23.110(c) are insufficient to reimburse all workers' lost wages, or if there are no payments to withhold, the Department of Labor, following a final order of the Secretary, may bring action against the contractor in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover the remaining amount of underpayments. The Department of Labor shall, to the extent possible, pay any sums it recovers in this manner directly to the underpaid workers. Any sum not paid to a worker because of inability to do so within three years shall be transferred into the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts.

(e) Retroactive inclusion of contract clause. If a contracting agency fails to include the applicable contract clause in a contract to which the Executive Order applies, the contracting agency, on its own initiative or within 15 calendar days of notification by an authorized representative of the Department of Labor, shall incorporate the contract clause in the contract retroactive to commencement of performance under the contract through the exercise of any and all authority that may be needed (including, where necessary, its authority to negotiate or amend, its authority to pay any necessary additional costs, and its authority under any contract provision authorizing changes, cancellation and termination).