Educational Services · Searcy, AR

Harding University

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Harding University ranks #35,736 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 4 violations across 1 inspections.

Upper half by penalty50% serious

Compiled by Plainworker · September 6, 2026

$9,800
OSHA penalties: 4
Violations cited: 1
OSHA inspections: #35,736
of 99,447 penalized employers

Harding University in Searcy, AR has been the subject of 1 OSHA workplace inspections and 4 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $9,800. Separately, the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found $17,584 in back wages owed to 257 affected workers. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Harding University once. These inspections resulted in 4 violations, averaging 4.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #35,736 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 2 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Educational Services industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.4x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $17,584 in back wages owed to 257 affected workers. For comparison, DE Escuela Libre DE Musica in Hato Rey, PR is another educational services employer with 2 OSHA inspections on record and $27,200 in current penalties.

4.0
violations per inspection: 50.0%
of violations were serious: #35,736
of 99,447 penalized employers: $17,584
in back wages recovered

Compliance score

D 56/100

F OSHA safety compliance: 4 violations across 1 OSHA inspection (4.0 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
B Wage & hour compliance: $18K in back wages owed across 2 WHD cases ($9K per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.

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Harding University

$9,800
Educational Services avg

$3,025

What this shows Harding University runs well above peers (3.2x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$9,800 Bottom 36% least affordable more affordable than 36% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?

Each dot is one of 21 Educational Services employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Harding University.

Harding University has 1 OSHA inspection on record and 4 violations cited. The crosshair marks the median among these Educational Services peers. Across this sector's tracked employers, more inspections is moderately associated with more violations found -- not a coincidence, but not a guarantee either.

Harding University in the Educational Services enforcement ledger

Educational Services sector: Harding University is the #281 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 856 employers with nonzero fines ($9,800). WHD back-wage recoveries in this sector place Harding University at rank #146 of 478 employers ($17,584 owed).

Combined federal exposure here: $9,800 OSHA penalties plus $17,584 WHD back wages (64.2% of the combined total is wage recovery).

How Harding University Compares

Harding University's 4.00 violations per inspection compares to the Educational Services sector average of 5.7 violations per employer.

Against the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs well above peers (3.2x the sector average).

Total Inspections

First Inspection

2011-01-04

Last Inspection

2011-01-04

Inspection Span

1 yr

Violations / Inspection

4.0

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$9,800

Industry Avg / Inspection

$1,199

What this shows 1 inspection over 1 year, averaging 4.0 violations per visit. That's $9,800 per inspection vs. the Educational Services average of $1,199.

Serious

50.0% of total

Willful

0.0% of total

Repeat

0.0% of total

Other-Than-Serious

50.0% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Initial Penalty Assessed

$14,000

Current Penalty Amount

$9,800

Penalty Reduction

30.0%

Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)

$27,384

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $4,200 from the initial assessment of $14,000. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Wage & Hour Findings

WHD Cases

Back Wages Owed

$17,584

Employees Affected

257

WHD Violations

257

Avg Back Wages per Employee

$68

Avg Back Wages per CaseBelow average

$8,792

The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Harding University owed $17,584 in back wages to 257 employees across 2 cases and 257 violations. WHD enforces federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covering minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards.

Industry Safety Context: Educational Services

How Harding University compares to the Educational Services sector, which has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric	Harding University	Industry Avg
Inspections	1	2.5
Violations	4	5.7
Total Penalty	$9,800	$3,025
Avg Penalty per Inspection	$9,800	$1,199

View all 3,186 employers in Educational Services →

Nationwide Educational Services peers with similar penalties or inspection counts

Two OSHA-record peer sets for Harding University, both outside AR so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.

Similar current OSHA penalty

Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($9,800 here).

Pleasantville Middle School $9,750 NJ North Bergen School District $9,750 NJ Williams College $9,640 MA Montclair State University Red Hawk Garage $10,000 NJ

Similar OSHA inspection count

Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (1 inspections here).

Colegio Bautista Rosa DE Saron 1 insp. Rio Grande, PR Iowa Western Community College 1 insp. Council Bluffs, IA Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools 1 insp. Nashville, TN Oklahoma City University 1 insp. Oklahoma City, OK

Nearby & Similar Employers in Educational Services

Showing 5 of 3185 other employers tracked in this sector.

Focus Learning Academy

Dallas, TX

0 inspections $0

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA

7 inspections $27,435

DE Escuela Libre DE Musica

Hato Rey, PR

2 inspections $27,200

Central Unified School District

Fresno, CA

5 inspections $27,110

Career Colleges of America - South Gate

South Gate, CA

0 inspections $0

Compare Harding University vs Focus Learning Academy side-by-side →

What to do with this record

Use Harding University's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.

A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Harding University against Focus Learning Academy, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
See whether Harding University's inspection and penalty record is typical for Educational Services or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Educational Services sector
Harding University also carries $17,584 in Wage and Hour Division back-wages, a separate enforcement track from OSHA safety violations. How wage-theft enforcement works

Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Harding University safe to work at? ▼

Based on OSHA records, Harding University's workplace safety record is concerning, with multiple serious compliance issues. The employer has 4 violations across 1 inspections, including 2 serious violations. Compared to Educational Services industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.

How many OSHA violations does Harding University have? ▼

Harding University has 4 OSHA violations on record, including 2 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $9,800.

How many OSHA inspections has Harding University had? ▼

Harding University has had 1 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2011-01-04 and the most recent on 2011-01-04. This averages 4.0 violations per inspection.

What is the total penalty amount for Harding University? ▼

Harding University has been assessed $9,800 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $14,000 (a 30.0% reduction). Additionally, $17,584 in back wages were owed through WHD enforcement.

Does Harding University have any serious or willful violations? ▼

Yes. Harding University has 2 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.

Has Harding University been cited for wage theft? ▼

Yes. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has recorded 2 enforcement cases against Harding University, resulting in $17,584 in back wages owed to 257 affected workers. These cases involve violations of federal labor laws including minimum wage, overtime, and other worker protections.

What industry does Harding University operate in? ▼

Harding University operates in the Educational Services sector (NAICS code 611310). This industry has 3,186 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 8,042 total OSHA inspections and $9.64M in cumulative penalties.

What should I do if Harding University owes me wages? ▼

If you believe Harding University owes you wages, you can file a complaint with the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints or by calling 1-866-487-9243. WHD investigates violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act including unpaid minimum wage, overtime, and unauthorized deductions. The DOL has previously found $17,584 in back wages owed by this employer across 2 cases.

Where does Harding University rank nationally on OSHA penalties? ▼

Among the 99,447 U.S. employers with a nonzero current OSHA penalty in PlainWorker's corpus, Harding University ranks #35,736 (the upper half of penalized employers nationally). The ordinal is a live COUNT of employers with a lower total_current_penalty; see the methodology page for the exact derivation.

How does Harding University's safety record compare to industry average? ▼

Harding University's total OSHA penalty of $9,800 is above the Educational Services industry average of $3,025 per employer (3.2x the average). The employer has 1 inspections compared to the industry average of 2.5 per employer. For a direct comparison, DE Escuela Libre DE Musica in Hato Rey, PR is a similar educational services employer with $27,200 in current penalties.

Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.