CHICAGO, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago have signed a two-year alliance to promote workplace safety and health training and educational opportunities for Consulate and Mexican nationals working in Illinois.

DETROIT, MI – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Consulate General of Mexico in Detroit have signed a two-year alliance to promote workplace safety and health training and educational opportunities for Consulate and Mexican nationals working in Michigan and Northern Ohio.

KANSAS CITY, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Kansas City and St. Louis area offices have signed a two-year alliance with the Missouri Association of Manufacturers to address safety and health hazards at Missouri manufacturing facilities.

COLUMBUS, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and organizations representing many of Ohio’s craft brewers have renewed a two-year alliance to improve workplace safety in the industry.

PASADENA, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Men’s T Clinic – operator of a testosterone replacement center in Pasadena, Texas – has paid back wages of $3,432 to an employee to whom it wrongly denied emergency paid sick leave and terminated despite a doctor’s order for the employee to quarantine with coronavirus symptoms.

LAKELAND, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Universal Painting Corp. – a painting company based in Lakeland, Florida – has paid $55,439 in back wages to 71 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

ZACHARY, LA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), A&B Concrete Coring Inc. – doing business as A&B Concrete Coring Co. – has paid $33,492 in back wages to six employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

TAYLOR, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Burrows Millworks Inc. – a cabinet manufacturer based in Taylor, Texas – has paid an employee $3,736 in back wages for wrongly denying leave under the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLEA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today released its “Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption” Final Rule, which will be published in an upcoming edition of the Federal Register. This rule will encourage the full and equal participation of religious organizations as federal contractors.

MARKSVILLE, LA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Shirley’s Crawfish Pad LLC and Crawfish Processing LLC – both owned by Shirley Bernard and co-located in Marksville, Louisiana – have paid $42,900 in back wages to 55 employees to resolve violations of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

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 pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today applauded the efforts of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection for combatting forced labor in China with the issuance of a withhold release order on cotton harvested or processed by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, including any products made from that cotton, such as apparel, garments and textiles. The order prevents the importation of these goods into the U.S.

MOMENCE, IL - The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Baker & Taylor LLC to resolve allegations of race and gender-based hiring discrimination against Black and male applicants at the company’s Momence, Illinois, distribution facility. While not admitting liability in the investigation, Baker & Taylor LLC agreed to pay $127,375 in back pay and interest to 42 applicants to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at its Momence, Illinois, facility.

WASHINGTON, DC – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through Nov. 26, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations arising from 255 inspections for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $3,403,139.

OSHA inspections have resulted in the agency citing employers for violations, including failures to:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the November 2020 Employment Situation Report:

WASHINGTON, DC – Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Director Craig Leen issued the following statement regarding updates between OFCCP and Oracle America:

“After nearly four years of litigation and investing extensive resources, the Department of Labor has determined not to appeal the 278-page Recommended Decision and Order of the Administrative Law Judge in OFCCP v. Oracle America.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a national online dialogue intended to enhance the Department’s efforts and determine how to engage workers, advocates and other stakeholder groups to combat labor trafficking and forced employment more effectively.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and AT&T Services Inc. entered into an agreement that requires AT&T to pay $173,000 and provide other non-monetary relief to address pay disparities between male and female employees in California and Nevada. While not admitting liability in the investigation, AT&T has agreed to an early resolution conciliation agreement and to enhance future compliance proactively.

HUTTO, TX – ProDirt Services LLC – based in Hutto, Texas – has paid $1,680 in back wages for denying emergency paid sick leave to an employee who was instructed to self-quarantine by a healthcare provider for coronavirus-related reasons.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) at five peanut industry employers in Texas and New Mexico resulted in the recovery of $172,264 in back wages for 127 employees to remedy violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).