The U.S. Department of Labor on FMLA - Part One

Director, Division of FMLA and Other Labor Standards, U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division

Helen M. Applewhaite is the Director of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Other Labor Standards Division of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD) Office of Policy in Washington, D.C. Helen leads a small staff of senior experts in developing policy guidance and in providing subject-matter expertise on the application of several key laws that provide critical worker protections. Areas she covers include protections under the FMLA and the break time and space requirements for pumping breast milk at work under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Helen began her career with WHD as an Investigator and has worked at all levels of the agency. She has won numerous WHD and Departmental awards, including a Distinguished Career Service award and an award for Excellence in Leadership.