DOL’s Kravitz Honored as Government Partner

Michael Kravitz has played a critical role in developing the relationship between the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the APA, and it is partly because of this that he is the APA’s 2021 Government Partner Award recipient.

Kravitz, Associate Administrator for Performance and Communications in the Wage and Hour Division of the DOL, received the award Wednesday during the Congress Xstream Awards General Session.

In addition to presenting several times at the APA’s Capital Summit conference, Kravitz has arranged for DOL presenters at many of the APA’s conferences. Through him, the APA has identified agency subject matter experts and secured DOL presenters at the highest levels to talk to payroll professionals.

Recently, he arranged for a DOL wage and hour expert to speak on COVID-19 labor relief measures on a panel with the APA and the Canadian Payroll Association. He also arranged for a DOL presenter to speak on sick leave at this year’s Virtual Capital Summit.

He continues to serve as the APA’s liaison to understanding wage and hour issues within the DOL by ensuring that the APA be included in meetings with the wage and hour division and with the DOL’s public liaison office.

“We’ve had a great collaboration between the American Payroll Association and the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division,” Kravitz said in receiving the award. “We in wage and hour are committed to working with employers, explaining what the law is so that all of you can comply, so that there’s a level playing field and employers know what the rules are and will not have to go down that investigative route.”

He also helped to raise the level of importance of the APA’s request for a DOL opinion letter on garnishment limits for lump sum payments in child support and kept the APA informed of changes to overtime rules.

“We want to be available and to work with you at the various conferences you have and disseminate hopefully useful materials for all of you and your members,” he said. “Thanks again for the collaboration. I look forward to continuing to work with you, to finding opportunities for us to continue to engage and keep the dialogue going.”

Past APA Payroll Woman of the Year Gretchen Inouye, CPP, commended Kravitz in the chat, writing, "Thank you for everything you do for us, Michael. Congratulations."