An Open Letter to Elon and His DOGE Boys

Dear Elon and your young DOGE acolytes,

I suspect you don’t generally engage with people like me, so allow me to first introduce myself: I come from a working-class family; I was the first and only 1 of 5 sibling to go to college (and later to grad school). My mom was a nurse; my dad sold appliances and then moved up to manage a utility company’s workers’ compensation claims. My brothers climbed poles, read meters, collected garbage, and painted houses. I worked too many jobs to count – like wrapping meat in a grocery, stringing wire around some contraption in a factory, serving meals in a diner, and cleaning rooms in a hospital. Flash forward a couple of decade, and here I am: a public health educator, public policy guru, science communicator, and volunteer Board member of several non-profit organizations.

One highlight of my professional career was my 5-year stint working for the federal government. Yes, I was one of those lazy, superfluous civil servants that you are (not) so fond of. And to make matters even worse, I worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in an agency called the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Knowing that you’re no friend of the CDC, or science, and of working people in general, you have probably stopped reading. But give me another minute and the courtesy of reading on a bit.

Working People at Risk Just Doing Their Jobs

Even well before my NIOSH stint, the health and safety of working people had been one of my lifelong passions. You likely don’t know one of these hard working people, but they are the folks who put food on your table, keep your lights on, repair and pave your streets, fill your driver’s tank so they can ferry you around, open the doors for you, clean your house, wash your clothes, produce the goods you use every day.…. You get the picture. They provide services that may be invisible to you or that you likely feel entitled to and/or take for granted.

Many of these workers get sick and injured doing their jobs. Don’t take it from me. Private industry employers themselves reported 2.6 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023, and that’s likely an undercount as such reporting could trigger fines or inspections. Some poor souls don’t even make it home at the end of their workday. In 2023, there were 5,283 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States. That’s one worker every 99 minutes! Others spend their days gasping for breath or learning to use prosthetic limbs.

That’s why I want to provide this brief primer for you and your young DOGE acolytes as you eagerly pursue culling records from the Department of Labor. No doubt, you were shocked – shocked I say – by the fierce resistance you met as you tried to enter the building this past week. OK – the courts decided you could access the DOL and its records, but still…. There are things you should know. And I did some homework for you.

A Brief Primer on the DOL

DOL is home to a host of agencies and programs that provide essential services, support, and information to our nation’s workforce. Think of our nation’s workers as the lifeblood and cornerstone of our economy, our communities, and our families – even yours. Here I focus on just a couple to give you an idea.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Thank the BLS for collecting and reporting the injury/illness/fatality statistics mentioned above. Or maybe you’d rather stop their collection altogether and limit its focus to other issues? After all, these data only rile up workers, the public health community and heaven forbid, maybe even trigger action. The BLS provides a window on how our country’s workers – and our economy -- are doing. Surely, you can see some value in that.

Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA). Elon and DOGE acolytes, think about what it would be like to go to work every day knowing you’ll be exposed to hazardous chemicals, lead or other heavy metals, noise, excessive heat or cold, grinding/crushing machinery, repetitive motions (over and over), or even violent co-workers or clients? As you walk into OSHA or any agency, thank your lucky stars that there’s an agency that regulates these hazards. OSHA was created by Congress in 1970 and signed into law by President Nixon. Its statutory mission is to assure that America's workers have safe and healthful working conditions free from recognized hazards and unlawful retaliation. OSHA covers most private sector employers and their workers, as well as some public sector employers and workers. The agency sets and enforces workplace health and safety standards; enforces anti-retaliation provisions of the OSHAct and other federal whistleblower laws; provides and supports training, outreach, and education for workers, as well as compliance assistance for employers. Elon, I know you’re no friend of OSHA (see here, here); so pardon me for wondering if you have an agenda beyond government efficiency.

Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA). You know that cell phone in your pocket? And that tablet you carry around? Well, you can thank the nation’s miners for their labor. They provide the materials that go into the devices, electronics, appliances and other products you and the rest of us use on a daily basis. Approximately 560,000 miners make all these necessities and conveniences possible, as they don their gear every day and work in over 12,00 active mines. MSHA is the agency that works to prevent death, illness, and injury from mining and to promote safe and healthful workplaces for U.S. miners. Like OSHA, MSHA develops and enforces safety and health rules for all U.S. mines, and provides technical, educational and other types of assistance to mine operators. In 1978, the first year MSHA operated under the Mine Act of 1977, 242 miners died in mining accidents. In 2023, this number fell to 29! Remember that when you spout off anti-regulatory comments. And accidents are one thing; disease is another. Have you ever heard of silicosis or black lung disease? These are chronic, irreversible, and disabling diseases that literally have miners gasping for breath. So, as you gather records and data from MSHA, take a deep breath and remember the miners and government employees who work so hard to protect them.

Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP). Say you get sick or injured at work. Even you could fall down the stairs and break a leg or shoulder as you walk around our government agencies. Who’s going to pay for your medical treatment, follow-up physical therapy, and replace your lost wages? Well, maybe in your case, Mr. Musk will pay for it so that you don’t file a workers’ compensation claim. For many others, it may not be so easy, as employers aren’t wild about workers’ compensation claims. They cost $$ and may trigger inspection and fines. And the system can be hard on workers as well. For some workers, it’s the OWCP, which administers four major disability compensation programs that provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease. These include federal employees, coal miners, longshore and harbor workers, and current and former employees of the U.S. Department of Energy. Please resist any suggestion that many workers who filed comp claims are malingerers looking for a handout. In most cases, they are sick, worried, and even scared. Put yourself in their shoes and have some respect and compassion for the injured workers and the OWCP workers who are trying to help them.

Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Do you know what the minimum wage in this country is? As of February 2025, the federally required minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour, a rate unchanged since 2009. Hardly a living wage for most people. Fortunately, many states and localities have established higher minimum wages to address the rising cost of living. And lucky for you, DOGE men, the minimum wage in Washington, D.C., is $17.50 per hour for all workers, regardless of employer size. Is that what Mr. Musk is paying you? It’s the WHD that enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Its mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation's workforce. That includes you and everyone you know who works. Remember that when your Musk gig is up and you find work elsewhere. Know your rights related to fair pay, overtime pay, back pay, unpaid leave and more. You never know when you may find yourself in need of some help. WHD workers will be there for you. So be there for them, even as you gather what Mr. Musk wants.

Bottom Line

Elon, I know you and your DOGE team are busy, so I’ll stop here. But I hope you’ve read this, learned something, and become somewhat acquainted with the DOL agencies and programs whose records you’ll be rifling through. Understand if the workers are not overly thrilled to see you, as they are clearly aware of what government efficiency means to you and for them. Basically, their jobs.

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