Labor Department Increases OSHA Penalties

What happened: The U.S. Department of Labor Jan. 14 announced increases for 2025 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) civil penalty amounts. In 2015, Congress passed legislation requiring agencies to publish “catch-up” rules that adjust penalties no later than Jan. 15 of each year.

Why it matters: This year, the maximum OSHA penalties for “serious” and “other than serious” violations increased $419, from $16,131 to $16,550 per violation. The maximum penalty for “willful” or repeated violations increased $4,191, from $161,323 to $165,514 per violation.

Dig deeper: For additional details, visit OSHA’s Penalties page and read the final rule.