Title 29LaborRelease 119-73not60

§1831 Information and Recordkeeping Requirements

Title 29 › Chapter 20— MIGRANT AND SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORKER PROTECTION › Subchapter III— SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORKER PROTECTIONS › § 1831

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Recruiters and employers who hire seasonal farm workers must find out and, when they offer a job, give workers written information on key facts about the job. That includes where the work is, the wage rates, the crops and tasks, how long the job lasts, any transportation or other benefits and their costs, whether there is a strike or work stoppage, any deals that let the employer or others get sales commissions from workers, and details about State workers’ compensation (the insurer, policyholder, who to call and the deadline to report an injury). If workers are recruited through a day-haul operation, the same information must be given at the place of recruitment. At the work site, employers must post a Department of Labor poster about workers’ rights and tell workers they can ask for the written job information. Employers must keep pay records for three years showing how pay is calculated, piecework units if used, hours, total pay, each sum withheld and why, and net pay. Workers must get an itemized written pay statement each pay period. Contractors must give copies of their records to employers they supplied, and those recipients must keep them for three years from the end of the job. No one may knowingly give false or misleading information. All required information must be written in English or, when needed and reasonable, in Spanish or another common language; the Department of Labor will provide forms in those languages.

Full Legal Text

Title 29, §1831

Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Each farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association which recruits any seasonal agricultural worker (other than day-haul workers described in section 1802(10)(A)(ii) of this title) shall ascertain and, upon request, disclose in writing the following information when an offer of employment is made to such worker:
(A)the place of employment;
(B)the wage rates to be paid;
(C)the crops and kinds of activities on which the worker may be employed;
(D)the period of employment;
(E)the transportation and any other employee benefit to be provided, if any, and any costs to be charged for each of them;
(F)the existence of any strike or other concerted work stoppage, slowdown, or interruption of operations by employees at the place of employment;
(G)the existence of any arrangements with any owner or agent of any establishment in the area of employment under which the farm labor contractor, the agricultural employer, or the agricultural association is to receive a commission or any other benefit resulting from any sales by such establishment to the workers; and
(H)whether State workers’ compensation insurance is provided, and, if so, the name of the State workers’ compensation insurance carrier, the name of the policyholder of such insurance, the name and the telephone number of each person who must be notified of an injury or death, and the time period within which such notice must be given.
(2)Each farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association which recruits seasonal agricultural workers through use of a day-haul operation described in section 1802(10)(A)(ii) of this title shall ascertain and disclose in writing to the worker at the place of recruitment the information described in paragraph (1).
(b)Each farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association which employs any seasonal agricultural worker shall, at the place of employment, post in a conspicuous place a poster provided by the Secretary setting forth the rights and protections afforded such workers under this chapter, including the right of a seasonal agricultural worker to have, upon request, a written statement provided by the farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, or agricultural association, of the information described in subsection (a). Such employer shall provide, upon request, a written statement of the information described in subsection (a).
(c)Each farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, and agricultural association which employs any seasonal agricultural worker shall—
(1)with respect to each such worker, make, keep, and preserve records for three years of the following information:
(A)the basis on which wages are paid;
(B)the number of piecework units earned, if paid on a piecework basis;
(C)the number of hours worked;
(D)the total pay period earnings;
(E)the specific sums withheld and the purpose of each sum withheld; and
(F)the net pay; and
(2)provide to each such worker for each pay period, an itemized written statement of the information required by paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(d)(1)11 So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted. Each farm labor contractor shall provide to any other farm labor contractor and to any agricultural employer and agricultural association to which such farm labor contractor has furnished seasonal agricultural workers, copies of all records with respect to each such worker which such farm labor contractor is required to retain by subsection (c)(1). The recipient of these records shall keep them for a period of three years from the end of the period of employment.
(e)No farm labor contractor, agricultural employer, or agricultural association shall knowingly provide false or misleading information to any seasonal agricultural worker concerning the terms, conditions, or existence of agricultural employment required to be disclosed by subsection (a), (b), or (c).
(f)The information required to be disclosed by subsections (a) and (b) of this section to seasonal agricultural workers shall be provided in written form. Such information shall be provided in English or, as necessary and reasonable, in Spanish or other language common to seasonal agricultural workers who are not fluent or literate in English. The Department of Labor shall make forms available in English, Spanish, and other languages, as necessary, which may be used in providing workers with information required under this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1995—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 104–49 added subpar. (H) and concluding provisions.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–49 effective upon expiration of 90 days after the date final

Regulations

are issued by Secretary of Labor to implement such amendment, see section 4(c) of Pub. L. 104–49, set out as a note under section 1821 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective 90 days from Jan. 14, 1983, see section 524 of Pub. L. 97–470, set out as a note under section 1801 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

29 U.S.C. § 1831

Title 29Labor

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60