§21-1-3. Inspections by commissioner; duties and records of employers; commissioner may appoint assistants.

The commissioner of labor and his or her authorized representatives shall have the power and authority in the discharge of their duties, to enter any place of employment or public institution, for the purpose of collecting facts and statistics relating to the employment of workers and of making inspections for the proper enforcement of all labor laws of the state. No employer or owner shall refuse to admit the commissioner of labor or his or her authorized representative when they so seek admission to his place of employment, public building, or place of public assembly.

The commissioner or his or her authorized representative shall, at least once each year, visit and inspect the principal factories and workshops of the state, and shall, upon complaint and request of any three or more reputable citizens, visit and inspect any place where labor is employed and make true report of the result of his or her inspection.

Every employer and owner shall furnish to the division of labor all information which the commissioner of labor or his or her representative is authorized to require, and shall make true and specific answers to all questions submitted by the division of labor, orally or in writing as required by said division. Every employer shall keep a true and accurate record of the name, address, and occupation of each person employed by him or her and of the daily and weekly hours worked by each such person, and of the wages paid each pay period to each such person. Such records shall be kept on file for at least one year after the date of the record. No employer shall make or cause to be made any false entries in any such record.

In addition to such other powers and duties as may be conferred upon the commissioner of labor by law, the commissioner of labor shall have the power, duty, jurisdiction, and authority to employ, promote, and remove deputies, inspectors, clerks, and other assistants, as needed, and to fix their compensation, with regard to existing laws applicable to the employment and compensation of officers and employees of the State of West Virginia, and to assign to them their duties; to make or cause to be made all necessary inspections, including inspections relating to enforcing the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act, §30-42-1 et seq., of this code, to see that all laws and lawful orders which the department has the duty, power, and authority to enforce, are promptly and effectively carried out.