Putting worker safety and health first

The department has entered into an agreement with JBS USA Food Co. in which the nation’s leading meat packing processor and slaughterhouse will provide $4 million to prevent illegal child labor and support victims of the practice nationwide. The Jan. 13 agreement commits JBS to holding its supply chain, third-party contractors and service providers accountable for illegal child labor. In fiscal year 2024, department investigators found more than 4,000 illegally employed children.

The latest findings in the USDA’s report on worker safety in poultry and swine plants show that injuries, including chronic pain and musculoskeletal disorders, are too common. These kinds of injuries often go unreported. 

• Read about the findings from the USDA on worker safety in poultry and swine plants 
• Read Acting Labor Secretary Su's statement on the report

Seventy workers at California ice manufacturers in San Diego and Lake Elsinore will receive their share of $527,687 in back wages and an equal amount in damages recovered by Wage and Hour Division investigators who determined the companies’ common ownership deliberately withheld overtime workers earned. Investigators learned many regularly worked an average of 16 hours of unpaid overtime each week.

MSHA released the second Pattern of Violations screening in 2024. In the past two years, violations at 200 mines with the most significant and substantial violations have decreased 15 percent. These screenings help MSHA improve safety compliance and are a critical tool to protect the nation’s miners and rein in chronic violators.

Read the success stories of how the Wage and Hour Division and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs stood up to recover back wages and much more for workers both domestically and abroad. 

• We sued a Wichita adult gentlemen’s club to recover wages for 80 dancers 
• A Mexican manufacturer will pay bonuses and back wages and rehire two fired workers

Each year, the department awards the Iqbal Masih Award for the Elimination of Child Labor to recognize extraordinary efforts by an individual, company, organization or national government in reducing the worst forms of child labor. Established in 2008 by Congress, the award honors Masih, a Pakistani child sold into slavery at age four to work as a carpet weaver. After escaping at age 10, Masih became an outspoken public advocate against child exploitation. Two years later in his native Pakistan, he was killed tragically. Nominations must be submitted by Feb. 21.

The Women’s Bureau’s recent analysis of the gender wage gap reveals that women – especially older women – throughout the U.S. are dealing with the negative effects of earning less over time, including: 

• An exploration of the wage gap for older women 
• The gender wage gap since the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 
• How to improve women's retirement security

We’ve made $17 million available to help organizations combat homelessness among military veterans with employment services.

The department is trying to locate 617 temporary agricultural workers owed their share of $132,308 recovered from Titan Fruit & Vegetable Co. Inc., a South Carolina employer.

OSHA has stopped its COVID-19 rulemaking to focus on adopting a rulemaking standard that better protects healthcare workers from exposure to many different infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Perdue Farms Inc. and cleaning company settle child labor violations after investigations at a Virginia poultry processing facility.

At least $25 million in grants are available to support organizations that provide training and employment services to incarcerated people before and after their release.

A Wage and Hour Division employee reflects on the department’s progress in supporting working under the Biden-Harris administration.

The U.S. economy added 256,000 jobs last month. The December 2024 gains include growth in health care, retail, government and social assistance. Check out the highlights from the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.

Are you prepared to protect yourself and your team from cold stress? 🌨️🥶 As temperatures drop, workers face many winter weather hazards. Watch for shivering, numbness, fatigue or confusion. If you notice these signs, act quickly! Learn more 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/gPPmhadX 

-OSHA LinkedIn

• Daily Reporter: OSHA penalties increase in 2025 
• HR DIVE: Leading meat processor will pay $4M to counter illegal child labor practices 
• WHYY-FM 90.9 Philadelphia: Final Employment Reports of Joe Biden’s Presidency Showed Surprisingly Strong Job Market 
• My Buckhannon: WVU engineer enhances mining safety with augmented reality training 
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The future of dairy: How a state apprenticeship program is training workers and boosting small businesses 
• CBS News: South Carolina peach grower took money from farmworkers' pay for political donations, feds say 
• KAKE-TV ABC 10 Wichita: Labor department sues Wichita gentlemen’s club to recover back wages, damages for 80 dancers 
• Working Nation: Women in the workforce are making strides, but there is still work to do