The Utah state agency that investigates employer discrimination is mistrusted by private labor attorneys and is under scrutiny after a state audit says it rules in favor of employees less than 1 percent of the time.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports the legislative audit made public earlier this year has found that the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division rules in favor of employees less than the averages from comparable agencies in surrounding states and on the federal level.

The state audit describes the division's investigations as inadequate, and it says investigators lack proper training.

Attorney Lincoln Hobbs says he refers his cases to the federal level instead.

Division case manager David Jensen says lawyers who refuse to send cases to the state are unfairly characterizing the agency.