The MISSION of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor is to administer a system of effective programs and services designed to develop, protect and maintain a viable workforce.

Our VISION is to achieve a well organized team that meets the challenges of the 21st Century and ensures the success of our territory in a global economy by pooling our resources to produce a work ready labor force that is dynamic, career driven, adaptable, technically literate and can meet the needs of a demand driven work environment.

The Virgin Islands Department of Labor’s mission to administer a system of effective programs and services designed to develop, protect and maintain a viable workforce requires that we build partnerships with government agencies, businesses, community organizations and other stakeholders.  It also requires a commitment to continuous improvement, reducing costs, improving business processes, technological efficiency, developing staff through training/mentoring/education, improving compliance with regulatory mandates and being a catalyst for positive change.

Our strategic goals are, to develop a talented workforce; to protect the workforce system; and to provide responsive fail-safe programs that support the workforce system. These goals support the Honorable Governor Albert Bryan Jr. directive to “provide workers with the assistance and encouragement they need to develop new skills and competencies over time, both to seek greater opportunity and to adapt to a rapidly changing employment reality and world economy.”

The Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL) receives its authority pursuant to Titles 3, 24, 27 & 29 of the Virgin Islands Code; the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; the OSHA Act of 1970; and other Federal laws which require the development of administrative structures that govern and enforce fair labor standards and the protection of the people of the Virgin Islands from any threat to health, morals, and general welfare.

Executive Order No. 309-1989 defines the organizational structure of VIDOL and requires the following divisions/units:

1. Division of Occupational Safety and Health ensures as much as practicable, a safe and healthful working environment for all public sector employers and employees of the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
2. Division of Workers’ Compensation strives to minimize the adverse impact of work-related injuries on the employees and employers of the territory by providing temporary medical and disability benefits for work-related injuries and diseases. 
3. Division of Labor Relations provides protection of workers’ rights, regulates the employment practices of employers, promotes job opportunities for residents of the territory and encourages a healthier, more harmonious relationship between labor unions, the private business sector and the government. 
4. Division of Job Service provides a viable and highly effective labor exchange system for the territory by connecting job seekers with suitable jobs and employers with qualified/skilled workers. 
5. Division of Training targets both youth and adults in the development and implementation of programs that are designed to address the needs of unskilled job seekers, the economically disadvantaged, the older worker, the unemployed, the underemployed, dislocated workers and individuals with serious barriers to employment.
6. Division of Unemployment Insurance administers income support to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own by systematically accumulating funds from employers during periods of employment from which benefits may be paid. 
7. Division of Administration complies with state and federal procurement laws and is charged with the responsibility of supervising all fiscal matters of the department by administering such functions as payroll, business and administrative services and plants and facilities management.
8. Bureau of Labor Statistics is federally mandated with the responsibility of collecting, compiling, arranging, analyzing and publishing statistics on wage, working hours, labor conditions and living costs.  

However, over the years the scope and responsibilities of the Department of Labor have increased and three additional units have been established, namely, Hearings and Appeals and the Information Technology .

1. Hearings and Appeals is responsible for hearing and resolving territory-wide wrongful discharge cases and those that are filed through Occupational Safety and Health, Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation.
2. Information Technology Unit serves as the central unit responsible for the Department’s information technology support.  They ensure that the entire Department is automated and able meet its federal and local reporting mandates.

As is evidenced by the scope of services we provide, the responsibility of the VIDOL is tri-fold.  We administer a service agency, a compliance & enforcement agency and an adjudication agency. Each division/unit develops and implements sound fiscal and managerial practices that support the key strategic objective of achieving a dynamic talent development system that develops and sustains a career driven, adaptable and technologically literate workforce. 

The overall mission of the VIDOL seems ominous but by following through on our transformation efforts and with the new initiatives such as:

• creating linkages with educational institutions and employers to develop curriculums that address workforce deficiencies and create job opportunities;
• consolidating internal and external databases;
• empowering and utilizing the Workforce Development Board as a catalyst to develop and fuel the new vision for workforce development;
• improving the timeliness and agreements with other government agencies to ensure compliance with local labor laws; and
• consolidating our St. Croix offices under one roof

we will assuredly and effectively transform from being a traditionally reactive organization to one that is proactive and resolute in promoting economic growth, employment opportunities, financial stability and a higher standard of living in the Territory for all Virgin Islanders.