Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, REPORTS—OIG finds former labor secretary, senior aides violated workplace conduct and anti-harassment policies, (Sep 8, 2026)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

The report cites a toxic work environment, retaliation concerns, and failures by leadership to address alleged misconduct.

A Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation found that former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and four other former department officials violated DOL workplace conduct policies, with investigators concluding that senior leaders engaged in or failed to prevent harassing and hostile conduct that affected employees in the Office of the Secretary and other DOL components.

The investigation examined allegations involving retaliation, discrimination-related comments, and management practices that employees said created a climate of fear and intimidation. In addition to workplace conduct findings, the OIG in its report substantiated violations involving travel practices, misuse of government resources, alcohol consumption on federal property, gift-reporting requirements, and an inappropriately close relationship between Chavez-DeRemer and a senior protective-services official.

Anonymous complaint leads to investigation. The OIG opened its investigation in January 2026 after receiving an anonymous complaint alleging misconduct by Chavez-DeRemer, former Chief of Staff Jihun Han, former Deputy Chief of Staff Rebecca Wright, a former director of advance, and a former assistant special agent-in-charge in the Division of Protective Operations (DPO). Among other allegations, the complaint asserted that department leadership fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in retaliatory conduct toward employees.

Investigators interviewed 53 current and former DOL employees and one employee from another federal agency and reviewed more than 500 documents, emails, personnel records, travel records, images, and videos. The OIG said its findings were based on a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard.

HWE substantiated. The report's principal labor and employment findings concerned workplace conduct within the Office of the Secretary. According to the OIG, 38 witnesses described the office environment as "toxic, intimidating and humiliating," and reported that Chavez-DeRemer, Han, and Wright openly discussed employee performance matters in front of coworkers, including details of disciplinary meetings and employees' emotional reactions to them.

Witnesses described widespread fear of termination and job insecurity. At least three witnesses reported that Han threatened employees with dismissal and emphasized his authority to terminate them. Multiple witnesses also described meetings conducted by Han and Wright that employees referred to as "beatdowns," during which workers were allegedly berated over perceived performance shortcomings.

The OIG found that witness testimony corroborated allegations that Han and Wright routinely engaged in threatening, demeaning, and abusive verbal and written communications with employees and that Chavez-DeRemer was aware of the conduct but failed to take corrective action required by DOL policy. Investigators concluded that Chavez-DeRemer, Han, Wright, the former director of advance, and the former assistant special agent-in-charge all failed to comply with departmental anti-harassment requirements and failed to fulfill policy obligations to prevent, address, or report harassing conduct.

Retaliation concerns emerged during investigation. Investigators also examined allegations that employees who raised compliance concerns or were suspected of communicating with the media faced retaliatory actions.

According to witness statements, career employees who questioned whether certain travel arrangements complied with federal travel regulations were removed from travel-planning duties and reassigned to more limited responsibilities. Witnesses further reported that multiple career employees were moved out of the Secretary's suite, leaving only political appointees in Chavez-DeRemer's immediate work area.

Following media reports concerning allegations against department leadership, witnesses told investigators that Han and Wright attempted to identify employees responsible for leaks and warned staff that speaking with the press could result in termination. Witnesses also reported that managers compiled lists of employees they wished to remove and investigated personnel believed to be cooperating with the OIG or communicating with reporters.

Although the OIG did not determine whether the conduct amounted to unlawful retaliation under federal employment law, it found that the evidence reflected employee concerns about retaliation and reluctance to raise workplace concerns, conditions that DOL's anti-harassment policies are intended to prevent.

Discrimination-related allegations. The investigation additionally reviewed allegations involving comments and actions that employees believed related to protected characteristics. Witnesses attributed remarks to Wright regarding employees' appearance, weight, race, and sexual orientation. According to the report, witnesses alleged that Wright made derogatory comments about employees' physical appearance, commented on hairstyle choices in relation to sexual orientation, and made statements concerning the race of daycare workers while speaking with an employee.

The OIG examined allegations involving the exclusion of certain agents from Chavez-DeRemer's security detail. Witnesses reported that one Black assistant special agent-in-charge and three White agents were removed from assignments, although investigators said witnesses provided no evidence that race motivated those decisions. Witnesses instead attributed the exclusions to perceptions about age, physical fitness, adherence to rules, or political viewpoints.

The OIG emphasized that it did not determine whether any of the conduct constituted unlawful discrimination, retaliation, or a hostile work environment under federal equal employment opportunity laws. Rather, the report assessed whether the conduct complied with DOL's internal workplace policies and managerial obligations.

Leadership failures central to findings. In discussing applicable standards, the OIG noted that DOL policy requires managers and supervisors to model appropriate workplace behavior, recognize potentially harassing conduct, respond to reports of misconduct, prevent retaliation, and take corrective action when warranted. Agency heads also bear responsibility for ensuring implementation and enforcement of those policies.

The report concluded that senior officials failed both to refrain from engaging in inappropriate workplace conduct and to fulfill their affirmative responsibilities as leaders. Investigators found a recurring pattern of intimidating and demeaning treatment of employees, fears of retaliation, and reluctance among employees to challenge senior officials or raise concerns.

Other policy violations also substantiated. Beyond the labor and employment findings, the OIG concluded that Chavez-DeRemer maintained an inappropriately close and unprofessional relationship with a DPO supervisor assigned to her protective detail, although investigators said they did not obtain sufficient direct evidence to establish a romantic or sexual relationship. The report also found violations involving the improper combination of personal and official travel, unauthorized alcohol consumption and storage on federal property, directing subordinates to perform personal tasks during duty hours, and failures to comply with gift-reporting requirements.

Recommendations focus on workplace accountability. Among its recommendations, the OIG urged DOL to strengthen whistleblower protections, provide annual training concerning inappropriate workplace relationships, establish or strengthen policies governing personal relationships between supervisors and subordinates, and review whether employees could reasonably have perceived management practices as restricting communications with inspectors general or other authorized oversight entities. The OIG further recommended measures intended to reinforce protections against retaliation and improve management training concerning protected disclosures and prohibited personnel practices.

Chavez-DeRemer and the assistant special agent-in-charge resigned from federal service, while Han, Wright, and the former director of advance were terminated. According to the report, all five officials departed before the investigation was completed.

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