NORTH MIAMI, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited two contractors for failing to protect employees from fall hazards at a construction worksite in North Miami, Florida. Prestige Estates Property Management LLC of North Miami and Jesus Balbuena of Miami, Florida, face $44,146 in penalties.

SPARKS, MD – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with the board of trustees of the Food Employers Labor Relations Association (FELRA) and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Fund, a multi-employer welfare benefit fund. The agreement requires the trustees of the Sparks, Maryland-based fund to pay $431,818 in previously denied severance benefits to 32 former employees of SuperFresh grocery stores. 

SAN JOSE, CA – The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in San Jose, California, will pay $3,680 to one employee after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer repeatedly failed to provide paid sick leave benefits for time the employee spent home caring for her child whose school closed due to coronavirus.  

SOMERTON, AZ – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has led the Somerton School District to pay $1,000 in back wages to an employee who needed to spend five weeks at home caring for her children whose school closed due to the coronavirus.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Flat Glass Distributors Inc. for exposing employees to unguarded machinery and electrical hazards at the Jacksonville, Florida, fabrication and distribution facility. The custom glass shaping and cutting distributor faces $121,446 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC –The U.S. Department of Labor today announced publication of a final rule that expands the ability of private sector employers to communicate retirement plan information online or by email. The rule allows employers to deliver disclosures to plan participants primarily electronically, which will reduce printing, mailing, and related plan costs by an estimated $3.2 billion over the next decade.

In the week ending May 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 2,438,000, a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 294,000 from 2,981,000 to 2,687,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,042,000, a decrease of 501,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 73,500 from 3,616,500 to 3,543,000.

MITCHELL, SD – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Custom Genetic Solutions LLC – a bull stud facility in Mitchell, South Dakota – for exposing workers to hazardous chemicals and toxic substances after an employee fatality. The company faces penalties of $122,602 for two willful and three serious violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Loren Sweatt of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was scheduled and prepared to testify at the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee hearing this morning. But only yesterday, the committee postponed the hearing.

WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced a final rule that allows employers to offer bonuses or other incentive-based pay to employees whose hours vary from week to week.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA's requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, understanding about the transmission and prevention of infection has improved. The government and the private sector have taken rapid and evolving measures to slow the virus's spread, protect employees, and adapt to new ways of doing business.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today has released updated resources for employers, employees, and states to prevent fraud or misuse in the unemployment insurance system, including the new unemployment insurance programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia released the following statement on the passing of Office of Labor-Management Standards Director Arthur Rosenfeld.

“Today, I share the sad news that Arthur Rosenfeld, Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards, passed away Saturday night. The U.S. Department of Labor and the labor and employment bar have lost an accomplished lawyer and public servant, admired colleague and treasured friend.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced the availability of $11.5 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants for nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, Indian tribes, and colleges and universities.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule to provide greater simplicity and flexibility to retail industry employers.

Provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allow employers in retail and service industries to exempt certain employees paid primarily on a commission basis from overtime.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of its new firm-fixed price approach to procuring Job Corps center operations, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it has awarded contracts to operate four centers in Michigan, Wyoming, and New Hampshire. Administered by the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Job Corps is a national residential training and employment program designed to address the multiple barriers to employment faced by at-risk youth.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding being added to the White House Coronavirus Task Force:

“President Trump and Vice President Pence have delivered steadfast leadership throughout the fight against the pandemic. As a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, I look forward to help bring Americans back to work—safely.”

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will offer three webinars the week of May 18, 2020, for employees, employers and state and local governments in the division’s Southeast region to educate them on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). 

The webinars will provide information on the requirements of the law including eligibility, coverage, qualifying reasons, duration of leave and calculation of pay.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of seven Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) totaling $26,751,963 to help address the workforce-related impacts of the public health emergency related to coronavirus. These awards are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $345 million for DWGs to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus.