Stepping forward to protect female firefighters

The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs expanded the list of presumptive conditions for female firefighters to support their unique health risks from toxic exposures. This action addresses gender-specific health risks and sets a new standard for inclusivity and equity in workers’ compensation policies.

The Employment and Training Administration announced grant funding awards to support continuous disaster-relief workforce training including: 

• $1.6 million to continue Hurricane Idalia support to Florida. 
• $627,124 to help Washington communities affected by the opioid crisis

Human trafficking victims are often involved in producing goods and services we rely on, hidden by fraud and exploitation. Our Bureau of International Labor Affairs has resources for companies, consumers, researchers, policymakers and others to help end trafficking and labor exploitation. Explore them during Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered $1.9 million in wages for Rhode Island’s pandemic healthcare workers. The hospital has agreed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and has made substantial changes in their timekeeping practices.

An Illinois contractor faces $266,176 in proposed penalties after OSHA inspectors again found employees without required fall protections, their second such incident in six months and the fifth in two years.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers workplace safety tips, news and (occasionally) memes on Instagram at @OSHA_DOL.

The Department of Labor has made improving unemployment insurance a top priority since the COVID-19 pandemic revealed major flaws in the system.

If you have a disability, have you heard of Schedule A? It’s a special authority that streamlines the process for hiring federal employees with disabilities. 

• Watch this video featuring Jennifer Thomas and some of the Labor Department’s Schedule A employees. 
• Learn about the Schedule A Hiring Authority

You might not know much about us, but the work we do at the U.S. Department of Labor impacts millions of workers, job seekers, retirees, students, veterans and others. If you need help with a work-related issue, you can call us at 1-866-487-2365. -@U.S. Department of Labor

• HazardEx: Regulator issues 162 violations and one safeguard after completing 14 impact inspections at US mines 
• Dayton Daily News: Dying on the job: Workplace fatalities rose in Ohio; nonfatal injuries dropped 
• Rhode Island Current: U.S. Department of Labor settles with Care New England over labor violations 
• WTOP Radio: Labor Department Says Productivity Of Workers Output Per Hour Increased 2% In Third Quarter
• Maine Public Radio: OSHA cites Rockport Steel after worker death in May 
• Sequatchie Valley Now: Tennessee Disabled Citizens Need More Income 
• Spectrum News 1: State Department of Labor looks to protect workers in cold temperatures with new guidelines