The director of commerce may:
(A) Investigate and ascertain the wages of persons employed in any occupation in the state;
(B) Enter and inspect the place of business or employment of any employer for the purpose of inspecting any books, registers, payrolls, or other records of the employer that in any way relate to the question of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment of any employees, and may question the employees for the purpose of ascertaining whether sections 4111.01 to 4111.17 of the Revised Code, and the rules adopted thereunder, have been and are being obeyed. In conducting an inspection of the records of an employer, the director shall make every effort to coordinate the inspection with those conducted by the federal agency responsible for enforcement of the “Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938,” 52 Stat. 1060, 29 U.S.C.A. 201, as amended. If the federal agency has completed an audit or examination of the employer’s records within the sixty days prior to the date the director notifies the employer of the director’s intent to examine the employer’s records, the director shall accept in lieu of the director’s own inspection, a report from the federal agency that the employer is in compliance with the federal act, unless the director has reasonable grounds for believing that the report is inaccurate or incomplete for the purposes of sections 4111.01 to 4111.13 of the Revised Code, or that events occurring since the audit give the director reasonable grounds for believing that a violation of sections 4111.01 to 4111.13 of the Revised Code has occurred.
(C) In the event the director is prohibited by any employer from carrying out the intent of this section, the director may issue subpoenas and compel attendance of witnesses and production of papers, books, accounts, payrolls, documents, records, and testimony relating and relevant to the director’s investigation.
Effective Date: 07-01-2000; 04-04-2007